OSHA Fines Aluminum Manufacturer for Endangering Worker Safety

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 —

Fritz Aluminum Services Inc, an aluminum fabrication company located in Eustis, Florida, is about to pay the price for willfully endangering its employees by exposing them to a myriad of safety and health hazards. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is banging down the moneyed hammer of workplace justice, charging Fritz with 37 violations and proposing fines totaling $139,800.

The logo for OSHA, which has cited Fritz Aluminum
for numerous healthcode violations

OSHA has levied a whole variety of charges at Fritz.  The most serious on its pages-long list alleges that Fritz willfully failed to prevent combustible accumulations in the workplace; to provide workers with an abrasive blasting suit or apron during sandblasting; or to replace missing and clogged filters in the powder coating booth. In fact, OSHA has categorized 28 of the violations as serious, from failing to ensure workers were wearing proper eye protection to failing to provide sprinklers or fire protection in areas with flammable materials. OSHA also tacked on six “other-than serious” violations, including allegations that Fritz provided unsanitary conditions in bathrooms and work stations, and that circuit breaker panels were improperly labeled. Undoubtedly, Fritz, which fabricates aluminum fencing and other assorted aluminum equipment, could have used some custom labels like the ones below, to delineate its circuit breakers.

A circuit breaker label from mysafetylabels.com.

Les Grove, the area director for OSHA in Tampa, Florida, had some harsh words for Fritz Inc, saying, “The level of disregard for workers’ safety demonstrated by this employer is irresponsible. Although the employer knows the fire and explosion hazards associated with the accumulation of combustible dust, a choice was made to do nothing about it.” OSHA has responded similarly to Fritz.  In addition to the hefty fine, OSHA has also placed the aluminum company in its “Severe Violator Enforcement Program,” which will subject Fritz to multiple follow-up inspections to ensure compliance to OSHA standards and laws. The program was created to reform recalcitrant employers who have committed willful, repeat, or failure-to-abate violations.

-Z. Miller

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