Complaint requests enterprise-wide remedy, a 1st
WASHINGTON, July 6 — The U.S. Department of Labor’s solicitor today filed a complaint against the U.S. Postal Service for electrical work safety violations. The complaint, which asks the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission to order USPS to correct electrical violations at 350 facilities, marks the first time the department has sought enterprise-wide relief as a remedy.
The request for enterprise-wide relief is based upon the discovery of numerous, similar electrical work safety violations in the course of investigations conducted by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration of USPS mail processing and distribution facilities across the country. These violations increase the risk of injury from electrical shock, including electrocution. While today’s complaint arises from violations discovered in the Providence, R.I., facility, the requested remedy would apply to all 350 USPS processing and distribution centers, all of which contain similar equipment.
“When the same safety violation is discovered in multiple locations of an organization, we need an enterprise-wide remedy to protect workers from the hazard,” said Solicitor of Labor M. Patricia Smith. “The Department of Labor will seek other opportunities to utilize this remedy.”
OSHA’s inspections have revealed numerous violations of similar worker safety standards at USPS facilities throughout the nation. The complaint alleges that USPS’s actions demonstrate an enterprise-wide policy that resulted in ongoing systemic electrical work safety violations. USPS failed to adequately train workers in recognizing electrical hazards and how to work safely around such hazards, and did not provide workers with the appropriate tools and personal protective equipment to avoid injury or death while working around and on electrical equipment. The complaint also seeks $558,000 for the eight willful and four serious violations discovered in Rhode Island.
“Even though it was aware of the hazards, USPS failed to institute the necessary measures to protect its workers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “The complaint filed today seeks to put a stop to this irresponsible behavior.”
SOURCE U.S. Department of Labor
Careful what you ask for. I would not be surprised to see the USPS spend an exorbitant amount of money for hardware upgrades for it’s electrical distribution in the PDF’s. Money that they already can’t afford. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a company moritorium placed on employees working on anything over 50 volts and contracting out work. SORRY UNIONS.
It’s about time the DOL/OSHA got off their %#@ and started doing their job as well. The DOL, just like the U.S. Mineral Management Service (MMS), has been nothing more than a tragic joke; like most all oversight government agencies, over the past several decades.
I think all these so-called government “oversight” agencies have all become too cozy with those they are supposed to be policing. The DOL / OSHA latest “BUST” of the USPS is nothing more than thier ploy to make headline news, so that they begin to look like their doing something in their ivory towers, and thus deserve to remain in existence. Fact is, we havn’t heard much from any of these BS agencies in decades. When was the last time the FDA made a big bust?
If the DOL / OSHA wish to really impress me, then adopt the 1993 NIOSH report that recognizes that DBCS machines are making hamburger meat out of the machine operators. NIOSH asked for at least two operators per DBCS machine back then, with rotation of feeding & sweeping duties between operators.
The USPS is now operating these machines w/ one (1) operator, and expecting the same results. You can’t rotate feeding & sweeping duties with yourself! Get off your @%# DOL and adopt the NIOSH report to protect the DBCS workers who are about to find themselves out of a job once they get injured and the Postal Service’s NRP program comes head hunting for them.
GOVERNMENT “OVERSIGHT” IS A F@#*!&G JOKE!
I wouldn’t trust these jokers to walk my dog!
USPS is about as Bad a BP on violations