Republic Steel Fined $2.4 Million By OSHA For Safety Violations

Republic Steel, one of the country's largest producers of steel, agreed to pay a $2.4 million settlement to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA) for a range of alleged health and safety violations at four of its properties. In total, there were over 100 noted violations identified at the plants in Lorain, Canton, Massillon and Blasdell,

According to a report by OSHA, Republic Steel failed to protect workers against falls; failed to protect workers whom maintained and serviced heavy machinery; and failed to provide guarding on heavy machinery to protect nearby workers. The first violations were identified by OSHA officials in 2013 at the Lorain facility. When OSHA was notified of the safety violations here, they began inspecting other properties owned and operated by Republic Steel, revealing a slew of violations spread across 4 facilities in 2 different states.

"The comprehensive settlement, in which the company agrees to abate all cited hazards and implement numerous safeguards to prevent future injuries, addresses more than 100 safety and health violations found by OSHA at the company's facilities during inspections conducted in the fall of 2013," wrote the Labor Department in a press release.

In addition to paying the $2.4 million settlement, Republic Steel has also agreed to fix the violations and conduct their own internal safety audits to create a safe working environment for all employees. The company hopes to gain safety advice from the United Steel Workers Union along with third-party organizations, tackling some of the common hazards found in the steel-working industry.

$2.4 million might seem a little harsh, but this wasn't a stray violation here or there. It was over 100 documented violations across four separate facilities. These violations created an unsafe working environment for employees, placing their health and well-being in jeopardy. Fortunately, no workers were killed as a result of these violations, but this is just one reason why the federal government created OSHA back in the early 1970s.

Whether you operate in the steel-working industry or not, there are a couple of things you can learn about this recent settlement. For starters, companies should take a proactive approach towards identifying and fixing hazards in the workplace. Turning a blind eye to these hazards will only make the problem worse, leaving workers vulnerable to injury and your company vulnerable to fines and lawsuits.

Do you believe a $2.4 million settlement is fair? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!