Linen company faces hefty fines for safety and health violations

New Jersey - North East Linen, formerly Morey LaRue Laundry Company, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for several alleged health and safety violations after the deaths of two workers last year. Among the fifteen counts are some which relate to the presence of asbestos on the company premises. The fines, which may reach up to $80,000, will be imposed for violations discovered after the deaths of Victor Diaz Jr. and Carlos Diaz. The two men were assigned to power wash a 20,000 gallon tank which contained dry-cleaning chemicals, but they had not been trained to do the job. Other allegations include that they were not provided with protective gear, or safety equipment that could have been used to assist in their rescue. The two men died from suffocation while attempting to carry out the work. OSHA began an investigation on the day the men died. The investigated resulted in fifteen violations, including twelve serious, two other-than-serious, and one willful violation. The fines for the violations total $79,250. “Serious” citations are those which may cause serious physical harm or death, and which the employer either knew about or should have known about. “Willful” violations are those which an employer commits with indifference or intentional disregard for the safety and health of employees. Robert D. Kulick, director of OSHA’s Avenel area office said, “North East Linen did not take the appropriate steps to train its employees about potential hazards and to ensure its employees did not enter the waste water tank, which led to this tragedy.” Louis Ricca Jr., acting administrator for OSHA’s New York region said, “This horrible tragedy underscores the need for all employers to implement effective safety and health management system. It also reinforces the need for employers to provide their employees with appropriate training, direction, personal protective equipment and engineering control, particularly when working in and around confined spaces.” Among the alleged health and safety violations of North East Linen are failure to provide hazard training, failure to provide adequate egress, failure to effectively prevent employees from entering the waste water tank, and failure to determine the presence and quality of asbestos-containing materials, and failure to label asbestos-containing materials. From receipt of the citations, North East Linen has fifteen days in which to contest them, after which an independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is to be held. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)