Avondale Industries agrees to pay more than $350,000
Avondale Industries agrees to pay more than $350,000
Shipbuilder will make safety changes
A shipbuilder has agreed to pay $357,750 in penalties for safety and health violations and will implement a revised safety and health program as part of a settlement agreement announced recently by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
OSHA originally inspected the Avondale (LA) Industries shipyard in October 1998 following union complaints of possible imminent danger from falls, as well as other health issues. Based on that inspection, OSHA issued 60 citations against the company in April 1999 and proposed fines of $537,000.
Fall protection was a major problem
The majority of citations dealt with fall protection violations. OSHA also inspected Avondale’s injury and illness record-keeping practices following a union complaint of alleged violations associated with the reporting of employee injuries and illnesses.
On July 2, 1999, the agency issued three citations against the shipyard for record-keeping violations and proposed penalties totaling $180,000.
Under the settlement agreement, Avondale Industries will:
• create and implement a revised safety and health program;
• implement a "Scaffold Erection, Maintenance, Use, Inspection Disassembly, Storage and Training" program;
• provide enhanced training to all levels of supervision regarding fall hazards and the use of fall protection;
• complete an audit of accidents and injuries over the past five years;
• provide enhanced training to all supervisors about hazards that are contributing to the company’s injuries and illnesses;
• document and report to OSHA and authorized employee representatives each quarter (over the next 18 months) all efforts to implement the revised safety and health program and audit team’s recommendations;
• undergo a comprehensive review of all accident and medical records for 1995-1999;
• establish an audit committee to conduct quarterly audits on medical and OSHA logs.
Avondale Industries employs 6,600 workers at the shipyard, which builds ships for commercial ventures and the U.S. Navy.
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