Cincinnati Foundry Faces $128K in OSHA Penalties

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing fines totaling $128,700 against Cincinnati-based Cast-Fab Technologies, alleging multiple serious violations of federal workplace safety standards.

Cast-Fab is a ferrous foundry and fabricating operation with a metalcasting capacity of about 42,000 tons/year for gray and ductile iron castings up to 80,000 lb. The company’s turnkey fabricating operation specializes in sheet-metal enclosures for machine tools and other manufacturing and material handling equipment.

According to OSHA, it inspected Cast-Fab in January 2008 as part a local program emphasizing primary metal operations. It issued citations for 44 “serious” violations, including 33 safety and 11 health regulation violations.

The violations include fall hazards, energy control, training deficiencies, machine guarding, electrical hazards, lack of personal protective equipment, lack of periodic internal safety inspections, fire hazards, silica and asbestos exposure issues, and failing to inform employees of hazardous chemicals.

Cast-Fab was given 15 business days to contest the citations wtih the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Richard Gilgrist, director of OSHA's Cincinnati area office, stated: "Handling dangerous chemicals, electrical hazards and machine guarding problems are issues that should not exist at any worksite. Employers must remain dedicated to keeping the workplace safe and healthful or face close OSHA scrutiny."