Columbus, Ohio, Glass Company Faces $121,000 in OSHA Fines

OSHA has proposed $121,000 in fines against Columbus, Ohio-based Lancaster Glass Corp. for 36 alleged serious violations of federal workplace safety and health standards.

OSHA opened an inspection in June at the glass component manufacturer as part of its site-specific targeting initiative. The inspection revealed alleged violations of:

• Regulations dealing with guardrails for open-sided floors;
• Platforms and runways;
• Proper construction of fixed ladders;
• Appropriate personal protective equipment;
• Adequate machine guarding;
• Electrical and welding hazards;
• Grinding wheel safety; and
• Storage of welding cylinders.

"Any one of these violations has the potential to cause serious harm, perhaps even death, to workers," said OSHA Area Director Deborah Zubaty. "Finding hazards and insisting they be corrected are among the best services we can perform for working men and women."

Lancaster Glass has been inspected 14 times since 1986, resulting in 62 serious and six other-than-serious violations prior to 2005.