Republic Steel Exposed Workers to Hazards Despite Agreement: OSHA
The steel bar manufacturer now faces $121K in fines
OSHA announced its inspectors found that workers were still exposed to falls and machine hazards at a Massillon, Ohio, steel mill operated by Republic Steel, despite the company's promise to address safety hazards at its manufacturing sites. The agency assessed $121,000 in penalties in the case and issued five repeated safety citations for failing to provide guard rails on open-sided platforms, as well as other instances.
This comes after the Canton, Ohio-based company pledged to address safety violations in a 2014 corporate settlement with OSHA that included the company’s Ohio facilities in Massillon, Lorain, Canton, and Blasdell, N.Y.
"Republic Steel has made a significant investment in workplace safety and health programs in recent years, but the company continues to fall short in instilling a culture of safety and fixing all the safety discrepancies in its aging mills," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland. "Steel manufacturing is a high-hazard industry where safety must be a priority. OSHA will continue to monitor working conditions at all Republic Steel mills."