OSHA cites another federal organization for safety violations

Sometimes employees in Huron County are subjected to unsafe conditions. They may be exposed to chemical, mechanical or electrical dangers at their worksite without their knowledge. These kinds of dangers may exist simply because the employer doesn’t know about them or they may even be the result of employer negligence. Either way, these situations need to be reported immediately to both management and the proper safety organizations when discovered in order correct any problems and protect the safety of every worker at the site.

In a recent ironic development, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited another federal government organization, the U.S. Post Office, for safety violations at one of the organization’s major Midwest facilities. OSHA began the investigation earlier this year after it received a complaint stating that unsafe working conditions existed at the postal distribution center.

During their inspection, OSHA investigators discovered that workers were exposed to electrical dangers and issued citations for a total of seven violations. These included electrical power taps that were not being used according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and other equipment that was not properly grounded.

Four of the seven violations were serious in nature. These included using electrical equipment that was unapproved, utilizing electrical cords that were not spliced correctly and not giving adequate strain relief to all electrical cords.

These violations resulted in $63,450 in fines for the Postal Service. Unfortunately, this is not the first time the organization has been fined by OSHA. In 2014, two sites, including one in Ludington, Michigan, were cited for comparable problems.

Source: OSHA Regional News Release, “USPS cited for electrical hazards at Chicago’s Clark Street distribution center,” April 1, 2015