$63,000 for a ‘speeding’ violation?
June 17, 2010 by Jim BurgerPosted in: enforcement, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, OSHA news, Transportation safety
PDF It’s full-speed ahead for OSHA, which is trying to make up for what it views as eight lost years during the Bush administration.
But while OSHA has the pedal to the metal, it doesn’t want hell-for-leather motorists doing the same thing — at least not where workers could be endangered as a result.
A road and bridge construction company in Miami found that out the hard way. When workers closed off a lane on a major Florida highway, they posted a new and reduced speed limit sign.
Only problem: They didn’t remove or cover the existing speed limit sign.
It seems doubtful that motorists figured they could choose between the two posted speed limits, but OSHA wasn’t having it. Calling it a “blatant disregard for the safety and health of workers” and a “willful violation,” OSHA slapped the company with a $63,000 fine.
SafetyNewsAlert.com delivers the latest Safety news once a week to the inboxes of over 270,000 Safety professionals.
Click here to sign up and start your FREE subscription to SafetyNewsAlert!
Loading ...
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:17 am
Maybe Bush should have done a better job “purging” OSHA. I’m all for safety, but calling the failure to cover a sign a “willful violation” is simply one on the dumbest things I have ever heard, and exceeds any bushism ever played on Letterman. I hope they fight it in court.
Our government has the responsibility to do a better job, and that certainly extends to OSHA.
June 22nd, 2010 at 10:06 am
Personally, I think OSHA has outlived it usefulness and will look long and hard to justify its existance. The above “willful violation” is a good example of that policy
June 22nd, 2010 at 12:10 pm
In my view, OSHA and EPA have become collection agencies to fund recent Administration spending sprees. Business taxes are beginning to soar as well. It is tougher and tougher to run a business in this atmosphere. Too bad - we provide the majority of jobs outside of The Beltway.
June 24th, 2010 at 10:42 am
[...] guys” in the comment sections on this website. Comments left recently say OSHA is just out to make money for the current administration and that the agency is making it too easy for employees to complain about conditions at their [...]
July 2nd, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Oh man, my bandwagon has arrived, let me jump on it. OSHA HAS OUTLIVED ITS PURPOSE. It is out of control and behind the times. When they can come into a plant that obviously has an excellent safety program, be very complimentary while on site, and then fine them for penny anny stuff - they are sending a bad message. The days of child labor and 16 hour days with substandard conditions are for the most part over. The EPA as well. Look at the Gulf. Both agencies hold facilties feet to fire over minor issues, but when you are responsible for a large rig in the gulf and there is no contingency plan - why are you in business? Blame BP all you want, but if the consequences pushed by the EPA were strong enough - they would have had a contingency plan in place before the first cutting was pulled. Both agencies need to be downsized, and their focus changed.
August 4th, 2010 at 9:52 am
I believe I will have to agree with the sentiment from the previous resonders. However, I cannot say for sure if OSHA has outlived its usefulness or has been hijacked by the current administration. It would appear it is being used to “strike” at companies that are not union or companies that hire both union and non-union (scabs). OSHA is now a political arm of this current administration. I KNOW their are still good people in OSHA who truly want to help create a safer workplace; however, it does NOT seem possible under current leadership to have a partnership with OSHA, in that thru their guidance we could create a safer workplace. More and more companies and people will look at OSHA as an agent of destruction rather than one in which we could create a safer workplace.
August 4th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
First, Glenn has made a interesting point. Has OSHA been pursuing a politically motivated course by targeting non-union businesses? Perhaps a industry organization could investigate, and if it appears so, file a class-action suit in a business friendly state (that’s how liberal organizations do it).
Second, more closely to the article: Is it even legal for a non-gov’t group to cover a posted speed limit? Or is local law enforcement or DOT suppose to handle that? That would be par for the course to get a fine for not doing something you we not suppose to do anyway. Kind of like one federal agency wanting cars to pass crash safety tests, while another demands higher MPG.
August 4th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Just another example of unreasonable thinking by persons put into a position where they feel like they have ample authority. Kind of reminds me of Barney Fife.