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OSHA issued plenty of six- and seven-figure fines in 2011. Here are ten examples of what companies did to become part of a club no one would want to be a member of.

The fines are listed in chronological order:

1. $1.3 million in fines for 3 grain elevator deaths, including 2 teens: In 2010, at least 25 employees were killed by grain entrapment.
2. OSHA slaps company with $1.2 million fine for training, PPE violations: In this case, OSHA multiplied the number of citations by the number of affected employees.
3. Company faces $1.9 million in fines for amputation and fall hazards: Another example of a company that had a history of violations.
4. Business closes to settle $1.2 million OSHA fine: The company and owner in this case agreed to never again employ people to work with explosives.
5. Company cited 8 times in 12 years: $354,000 fine: An employee became trapped in a trench while the OSHA inspection in this case was underway.
6. 1 worker dead, 2 seriously injured: $371,000 OSHA fine: It’s not just federal OSHA handing out large fines; this case involved Cal-OSHA.
7. OSHA fines company $917,000 for explosion that injured 4 workers: The issue in this case was process safety management.
8. Employee complaints bring in OSHA: $950,000 fine: An employee complaint brought to light at least 15 employee eye injuries in recent years at this company.
9. OSHA fines company $550,000 after worker trapped up to chest in soybeans: This case provides an example of additional conditions that OSHA can tie to settlements.
10. Company to pay $268,000 in fines for two teen worker deaths: This case was also notable because of a federal court decision regarding insurance company records.

Tags: grain elevator deaths, PPE, Top 10 OSHA fines, training