The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has imposed a fine of $348,683 on Kenric Steel LLC, a New Jersey-based steel fabrication business. The company is accused of exposing its employees to safety hazards at their Millville headquarters. The investigation into the case was initiated last summer following a complaint.
OSHA Area Director Paula Dixon-Roderick stated, "A few months before our inspection, Kenric Steel hired a safety consultant who identified multiple safety and health hazards at the Millville fabrication shop. However, the company failed to correct the hazards, which is unacceptable." She added that employers are legally obligated to provide a safe and healthful workplace for all workers.
According to a news release from the Department of Labor (DOL), Kenric Steel was cited for 11 safety and health violations. These included four willful and seven serious breaches of law: training new hires on chemical safety; ensuring grounding and bonding of a spray finishing process; labeling containers and maintaining safety data sheets for chemicals; installing the correct circuit breakers to operate lights; medically evaluating new employees required to wear respirators; conducting yearly inspections of overhead cranes and ensuring proper use of welding screens.
Kenric Steel's operations extend beyond New Jersey, as per information on their website. The company has worked or is currently working in several states including Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., North Carolina, Texas and Indiana. They claim certification by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) in building fabrication, simple bridge fabrication and highway component fabrication.
The family-owned business specializes in manufacturing and installing custom fabrications along with safety and fall protection products. It also operates as structural and miscellaneous steel contractors according to the DOL news release. In response to OSHA's decision, Kenric Steel has chosen to contest it before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, an independent federal agency separate from the Department of Labor and OSHA.
