Federal safety inspectors responded to a complaint about employee safety negligence in the workplace at Republic, an Ohio steel manufacturer. The mill had failed to safeguard its employees from the hazards of its machines through guards and lockouts. Plus, they had not trained any of their employees about workplace safety protocols.

The safety inspectors concluded that through such negligence on part of the Ohio Steel Manufacturer, the workers had been subjected to an unreasonable risk of amputation among other things. All of this was avoidable, and a little care would’ve gone a long way for the employer to create a safe work environment for their workers, however, that was not the case.

Officials from OSHA categorically pointed out 7 serious violations, 3 other than serious ones, and one repeat violation in this case. The department also expressed concern over the fact that the company had offered inadequate training to its workers for operating forklifts and cranes.

On top of this, they had failed to repair these machines to satisfaction, or implement a safe electrical work protocol, or prevent slip and fall accidents in the workspace. All of these workplace hazards were a result of deliberate indifference to the safety of the workers rather than minor negligence.

After carefully assessing the violations, OSHA proposed a heavy penalty of $220,399 to discourage such gross negligence overall and to better instill a sense of responsibility in its citizens. The company had been cited for similar negligence back in 2027 as well.

All employees have the right to a safe work environment, and if the employer fails to ensure this, leading to some tragedy on part of the worker, then they can sue the company for negligence. But a victim must seek strong legal representation to ensure that their rights are not violated.

Call our team of competent Ohio worker’s compensation lawyers if such a disaster ever strikes to get started with the legal proceedings!

Source: https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/region5/09012021