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Region 3 News Release: III-99-01-27-006-PA
Wednesday, January 27, 1999
Contact: Leni Uddyback, (215) 596-1130

The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Altec Industries, Inc. of Plains, Pa. for alleged violations of occupational safety and health standards, and proposed $86,000 in penalties. Altec is an assembling plant for ariel lift trucks, and employs 300 workers at this location.

The inspection was initiated in July 1998 in response to two complaints received by the Wilkes-Barre area OSHA office.

According to Andrew Hedesh, OSHA area director in Wilkes-Barre, Altec Industries, Inc. was cited for 16 serious violations, with a proposed penalty of $66,000 and one repeat violation, with a proposed penalty of $20,000.

The serious violations were issued because employees were exposed to electrical hazards and were not provided with the proper training or personal protective equipment; the company maintained unguarded machinery that presented an amputation hazard; there was a lack of fall protection for employees required to work on the roof and there were hazards resulting from welding machine operations.

The repeat violation was due to Altec's continued failure to have Lockout/Tagout procedures, needed to prevent the inadvertent start-up of machinery. An initial citation was issued for this hazard in November 1996.

"These lapses in Altec's safety program could prove to be detrimental to the well-being of their employees," said Hedesh, "These problems have to be corrected to ensure the safety of the men and women who work at the plant."

A serious violation involves a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and that the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.

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

The inspection was conducted by the Wilkes-Barre Area Office, 7 North Wilkes-Barre Blvd., Wilkes-Barre, Pa., (717) 826-6538.

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD). Telephone: 1-800-927-9273.