OSHA Cites Shipping Container Company With Repeat Safety Violations

                               Fort Lauderdale, FL (CompNewsNetwork) - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing $40,500 in penalties against St. John's Shipping Co. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for safety violations.

A July inspection was the result of a complaint alleging employees were working on shipping containers without fall protection.

The company is being cited with four repeat violations with a proposed penalty of $24,000 for exposing employees to fall hazards, and failing to provide workers with fall protection and personal floatation devices when working on top of shipping containers. Additionally, a spreader beam being used was not at least 36.4 feet to hoist a 40 foot container.

The citations also include six serious violations with a proposed penalty of $16,500, two of which were related to incorrect rigging of shipping containers during marine cargo handling operations. Additionally, the employer did not prevent employees from working beneath a suspended container and failed to ensure the employees had safe access to the top of the containers on the vessel. The company also failed to maintain monthly inspection records and did not have an anti-skid surface on the foot pedal of a crane.

"There is no reason to have workers exposed to serious hazards. While it's fortunate none of the workers were injured, falls remain the number one cause of death in this industry," said Darlene Fossum, OSHA's area director in Fort Lauderdale. "One wrong step can end a worker's career or life. We want to emphasize the importance of supplying effective fall protection safeguards and training for all workers."

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA's role is to promote safe and healthful working conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, outreach and education.
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