The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspected the Somerset, NJ facility of Rasi Laboratories, Inc. in August of 2012. In October of 2013, OSHA came back to review the progress of the required changes from the initial inspection. Inspectors found that many of the problems uncovered in 2012 were not yet fixed. This inspection led to proposed penalties totaling $210,000.

“This employer continues to endanger its workers by failing to correct hazardous conditions and failing to implement an injury and illness prevention program,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA regional administrator in New York. “Such disregard for worker safety is unacceptable.”

In August of 2012, OSHA issued seven serious violations totaling $23,100 in fines. When OSHA inspectors returned, they found that the company had failed to abate hazards relating to implementing a continual and effective hearing conservation program for workers exposed to noise above 85 decibels. It also failed to develop and implement a lockout/tagout program to protect workers from dangerous machinery during servicing or maintenance and train employees on proper procedures.

What we can learn from this is that if your company is audited by OSHA, it is important to properly implement any corrective actions deemed necessary by OSHA. If you are having difficulty doing this or if you have any questions about the efficacy of any plans you have put in place, it might be a good idea to consult a qualified occupational safety and health auditing firm to assist.

If you have any questions about updating your safety and health programs at your facility, please contact us. If you have anything to add about this case or about working with occupational safety and health consulting firms, please leave a comment.