U.S. Minerals remains a focus of Severe Violator Enforcement Program (12/15)
U.S. Minerals, LLC continues to wrack up OSHA fines, with the latest round of citations bringing the total up to $1.4 million – accumulated in only four months.
According to an OSHA press release, the manufacturer of abrasive blasting and roofing materials willfully exposed its workers to multiple safety and health hazards at its facilities in Galveston, Texas and Coffeen, Ill.
Inspectors cited the Galveston facility with 38 violations and issued $273,000 in fines after finding the company had exposed workers to possible injury and death from falls, explosions, fires and unsafe machinery. OSHA cited the Coffeen facility for willfully exposing workers to dangerously high levels of hazardous dust and not providing workers with adequate breathing protection and training. This case resulted in 28 violations and $396,000 in fines. The inspections were conducted under OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which focuses enforcement efforts on certain employers who defy or ignore their OSH Act obligations.
"U.S. Minerals has severely jeopardized the health and safety of its workers by exposing them to extremely high levels of hazardous dust and other dangers," said OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels. "This is the fourth U.S. Minerals facility where very serious violations were cited in the past four months, clearly indicating these problems are widespread and systemic. This blatant disregard of workers' health and safety is not acceptable."
Hazards found by OSHA at other U.S. Mineral facilities resulted in fines during the last four months totaling $735,000.
According to an OSHA press release, the manufacturer of abrasive blasting and roofing materials willfully exposed its workers to multiple safety and health hazards at its facilities in Galveston, Texas and Coffeen, Ill.
Inspectors cited the Galveston facility with 38 violations and issued $273,000 in fines after finding the company had exposed workers to possible injury and death from falls, explosions, fires and unsafe machinery. OSHA cited the Coffeen facility for willfully exposing workers to dangerously high levels of hazardous dust and not providing workers with adequate breathing protection and training. This case resulted in 28 violations and $396,000 in fines. The inspections were conducted under OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which focuses enforcement efforts on certain employers who defy or ignore their OSH Act obligations.
"U.S. Minerals has severely jeopardized the health and safety of its workers by exposing them to extremely high levels of hazardous dust and other dangers," said OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels. "This is the fourth U.S. Minerals facility where very serious violations were cited in the past four months, clearly indicating these problems are widespread and systemic. This blatant disregard of workers' health and safety is not acceptable."
Hazards found by OSHA at other U.S. Mineral facilities resulted in fines during the last four months totaling $735,000.
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