Shipbuilder nets 16 safety violations following worker complaints
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The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Vigor Marine Inc. for 16 willful and serious violations following an inspection at the shipbuilder’s Portland, Oregon, facility.
OSHA investigated the facility, which is now facing penalties totaling $370,000, after receiving employee complaints of workplace hazards while performing hot work in the engine room of a passenger ferry, the agency said Tuesday in a statement.
Inspectors determined that the company allowed employees to work on energized circuit boxes; failed to conduct fit-testing and medical evaluations before providing respirators and to implement an effective hearing conservation program; and failed to make sure employees wore seat belts when operating powered industrial trucks, according to the statement.
Oregon and Alaska workplace safety and health agencies have also cited the company with similar violations at its facilities in those states, according to the statement.
“This employer’s failure to monitor work areas for the presence of hazards and implement effective controls is putting their employees at risk for serious injuries,” Cecil Tipton, OSHA’s Seattle area office director, said in the statement.
The company “took immediate action to address the issues noted by OSHA at the time of the inspections” and plans to “respond to and work with OSHA to properly close the citations,” a spokeswoman with Vigor Marine said in an email.
“The safety of Vigor workers is our highest priority,” she wrote. “We continue to pursue the highest standards in workplace safety everywhere we operate. The safety of our employees is our first priority.”
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