News Release
US Department of Labor proposes $303K in penalties for Middletown foundry for willfully exposing employees to workplace hazards
MIDDLETOWN, NJ – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that a Middletown foundry willfully exposed workers to numerous safety and health hazards, citing the company for 14 violations with proposed penalties of $303,106.
OSHA opened an inspection on March 9, 2022, at the Engineered Precision Casting Co. – a steel and aluminum foundry – in response to a complaint.
Inspectors determined the company did not provide employees with required personal protective equipment, and failed to provide hazard communication training on the chemicals in use and on energy control procedures – known as lockout/tagout – to prevent sudden machine starts or parts movement while machines are serviced or maintained.
The agency also found the company had not established an inspection program for overhead cranes or implemented a written respiratory protection program. They also failed to provide suitable facilities in the work area for employees to quickly drench or flush their eyes and body in an emergency.
In all, OSHA cited Engineered Precision Casting Co. for two willful, 10 serious and two other-than-serious violations.
“The violations we identified at the Engineered Precision Casting Co. exposed their employees to serious risks of injury or worse,” explained OSHA Area Director Paula Dixon-Roderick in Marlton, New Jersey. “Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure a safe and healthful workplace. This company must immediately address the hazards our inspectors found and take actions to prevent workers from suffering harm needlessly.”
The Engineered Precision Casting Co. is a foundry making steel and aluminum parts for the aircraft and aerospace, military and defense, oil and gas, and other industries.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its 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.
