A Florida boatmaker has been hit with $300k in labor penalties after failing to address workplace risks.
The Department of Labor had previously visited Blacktip Boatworks LLC, based in Pinellas Park, Florida, but the shipwright failed to heed their many concerns about the workplace standards in place.
Because of the inspection, Blacktip now faces four failure-to-abate, two serious, and three repeat violations, as well as one other-than-serious violation. The company now faces a total of $328,287 in penalties.
In March 2023, the Tampa office of the Department of Labor opened a case citing more than fifteen labor violations.
The Florida company failed to comply and take action on the highlighted risks resulting from a detailed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) report. OSHA followed up the case with a more recent inspection and found that the boat manufacturer "continues to jeopardize the safety and health of its workers."
Blacktip was found to have not corrected hazardous conditions, including "failing to institute a workplace respiratory protection program and procedures for workers required to wear tight fitting respirators, and failing to develop and maintain a written hazard communication program and safety data sheets for workers handling hazardous chemicals," said the report.
As part of the follow-up, OSHA found that the ship maker failed to provide training to workers voluntarily using respirators, conduct periodic inspections on equipment used to lift boats and remove damaged equipment from service, interconnect containers used to transfer flammable liquids electrically and provide medical evaluations and fit testing to workers required to wear tight-fitting respirators.
"Our follow-up inspection found Blacktip Boatworks continuing to expose its employees to potentially disabling and deadly injuries," explained OSHA Area Director Danelle Jindra in Tampa, Florida. "The citations we issue are not recommendations. They are violations of federal law that must be addressed immediately."
OSHA has been active across 2024, with its investigations attempting to address concerns that can prove fatal, such as the horrific accident that resulted in a 16-year-old's loss of life due to a workplace accident earlier this year.
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