Region 5 News Release: 13-1507-KAN
Sept. 3, 2013
Contact: Scott Allen Rhonda Burke
Phone: 312-353-6976
Email: allen.scott@dol.gov burke.rhonda@dol.gov

St. Louis Cold Drawn cited by US Labor Department's OSHA
after worker electrocuted at St. Louis industrial steel manufacturer

ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited St. Louis Cold Drawn for 26 safety violations after a worker was electrocuted May 15 when he reached into an energized electrical panel box to retrieve work gloves stored in the box at the company's St. Louis steel bar manufacturing facility.

"Allowing workers to be exposed to live electricity without enforcing electrical safe work practices is inexcusable," said Bill McDonald, OSHA's area director in St. Louis. "Employers, such as St. Louis Cold Drawn, have a responsibility to train workers in safe electrical work practices, such as recognizing unsafe conditions when exposed to hazards."

As a result of the fatality inspection, OSHA cited 19 serious safety violations. Several relate directly to safe electrical work practices, such as exposing workers to live electricity; open grounding of electrical equipment; using electrical equipment in disrepair; failing to train workers who may be exposed to electrical shock on safe work practices and lockout procedures for equipment; and not providing personal protective equipment for workers exposed to the danger of electrical shock or arc flash.

Other serious violations included lack of machine-specific lockout procedures, no annual inspection of the lockout program, missing lockout devices, multiple instances of locks not being placed on machines to prevent unintentional energization and lack of machine guarding. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.

Seven other-than-serious violations were also cited for failing to keep accurate injury and illness records, lockout/tagout training documentation was not available for all employees, and the employer failed to maintain a list of hazardous chemicals used in the workplace. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

OSHA has proposed fines of $51,800. St. Louis Cold Drawn has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

The company was previously cited with seven violations at this facility in 2002. The facility is the company's headquarters and employs about 90 workers. A second facility is located in Mexico.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's St. Louis Area Office at 314-425-4249. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions exist for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille, audio tape or disc from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755.