Pa. Company Cited by OSHA for Safety and Health Hazards

A Reading, Pennsylvania company’s reported failure to protect workers from falls and other serious hazards has resulted in a penalty of $112,000 from the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Cambridge-Lee Industries Inc. has been cited by the agency for one alleged repeat violation, with a penalty of $25,000, for two separate fall hazards caused by the absence or inadequacy of guardrails. Repeat violations are those for which an employer has been previously cited for the same or substantially similar condition and the citation has become a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Fifteen serious violations, with a penalty of $87,000, address hazards associated with machine guarding, powered industrial trucks, cranes, welding cables, lockout/tagout procedures and electricity. Serious violations are defined as those where the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard that could cause death or serious injury.

Cambridge-Lee manufactures copper tubing and employs 500 workers at three productions plants involved in this inspection.

The employer has 15 working days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply with them, request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.