U.S. Department of Labor Cites Ohio Steel Supplier After Employee Fatally Struck at Mansfield Plant

MANSFIELD, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited National Material Company LLC for failing to protect workers from tip-over hazards after an employee suffered fatal injuries at the steel supply plant in Mansfield, Ohio. OSHA cited the steel supplier for one willful violation, and proposed the maximum penalty allowed by law of $129,336.

Investigators determined that six steel coils - weighing approximately 1,775 pounds each - struck the employee after the coils tipped while being moved. Three other instances of coils tipping over occurred at the plant in the past two years. No injuries resulted from those incidents.

“Employers are required to ensure safe work procedures in their facilities,” said OSHA Toledo Area Office Director Kimberly Nelson. “This tragedy could have been avoided if the company had changed its coil transfer procedures after experiencing this serious hazard in the recent past.”

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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 help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov.