New York Welding Company Cited for Failure to Correct Previous Violations
Rothe Welding Inc. of Saugerties did not fix the violations they were cited for in January 2012.
A New York metal fabricator was cited after it failed to correct violations that were cited by OSHA in a 2012 inspection. Rothe Welding Inc. failed to abate and repeat serious violations and was also cited with additional serious violations. The violations carry the weight of $52,280 worth of fines.
In January 2012, the company was cited with seven violations. One of the hazards that was not corrected was the failure to provide workers with training on lead hazards. Two other repeat violations involved inadequate respirator protection programs, failure to enforce respirator fit testing, and failure to medically evaluate employees prior to respirator usage.
"Despite having sufficient time to correct all hazards cited during the previous inspection, this employer failed to do so. In addition, other hazards were allowed to recur and new hazards were identified," said Kim Castillon, OSHA's area director in Albany, in a statement on the OSHA website. "The proposed fines reflect both the severity of these hazards, which expose workers to potentially serious health conditions, as well as this employer's failure to take all effective corrective action."
Three other serious citations were issued for not disinfecting respirators prior to usage, store them in a safe location, and not providing lead hazard information to workers.