OSHA Fines Steel Firm $320K Over Safety Hazards

The company has 15 business days from the date of receipt of the citations to comply or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Montgomery-based Sabel Steel Service, Inc. was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for exposing employees to risk hazards. The company faces a total of $320,261 in penalties, OSHA press release stated. The company has 15 business days from the date of receipt of the citations to comply or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

According to OSHA, inspections were conducted at three Alabama facilities located at Montgomery, Dothan, Theodore and another facility at Newnan, Georgia. Those inspections resulted in multiple violations including exposure to amputations hazards and fall hazards. This includes allowing employees to operate horizontal band saw and alligator shear without necessary protection mechanisms in place. The inspection also revealed other serious violations including improper storage of oxygen, propane and acetylene cylinders.

Meantime, Fred Callahan, vice president, Sabel Steel expressed the company’s disagreement with the inspection findings. The company plans to schedule a meeting with OSHA to discuss the issue, he said. Callahan noted that the company had extended full cooperation to OSHA authorities during the inspections. The health and safety of its employees are Sabel’s primary concern, he added.

• Southold, NY’s First Solid Waste Coordinator Retires After 34 Years
• New Exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry Examines the Impact of Ocean Plastic Pollution
• Chicago Denies Permit for Scrap Metal Yard at Heart of 'Environmental Injustice' Battle
• IP Announced First Quarter 2024 Results