Houston Manufacturer Fined $1.2 Million for Hiding Work-related Injuries, Illnesses
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued Goodman Manufacturing Co. LP 83 willful citations for failing to record and improperly recording work-related injuries and illnesses at the companys Houston air conditioning cooling facility. Proposed penalties total $1,215,000.
"Accurate workplace injury and illness records are vital tools for identifying hazards and protecting workers' health and safety," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Workers and employers need this information to recognize patterns of injuries and illnesses, and prevent future hazards."
OSHA began its investigation March 2 in response to a complaint alleging that Goodman Manufacturing was not properly recording workplace injuries and illnesses in violation of OSHA's regulations. The investigation determined that Goodman had either not recorded or failed to properly record the nature and/or duration of 72% of employee injuries and illnesses from January 2008 to March 15, 2010, on its log.
Apart from this particular investigation, OSHA has implemented a National Emphasis Program on Recordkeeping to assess the accuracy of injury and illness recorded by employers.
