News Release
US Department of Labor finds Pennsylvania manufacturer prioritized safety, health at one facility, while hazards at New Jersey site led to 21 violations
MILLVILLE, NJ – A Pennsylvania-based metal coatings company that enacted a comprehensive safety and health program to protect workers at its corporate headquarters failed to do the same for employees at a manufacturing facility it opened in the fall of 2021 in Millville, a federal workplace safety investigation has found.
Responding to a complaint, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation at Regal Industrial Corp. on April 18, 2022, and later identified 21 violations of federal workplace safety standards. Specifically, the company failed to:
- Provide training on respirator use and medical evaluations to determine if employees were physically capable of wearing them.
- Develop and implement a written hazard communication program.
- Maintain safety data sheets onsite, and train employees on chemical hazards.
- Provide fall protection and machine guarding.
- Train forklift operators and certify them.
- Ensure safe use of electricity in areas where flammable paints were sprayed, and to keep emergency exits unobstructed.
- Establish and follow a routine schedule for floor cleaning and removal of combustible residue.
- Ensure proper use of power tools.
As a result, OSHA cited Regal Industrial Corp. for five willful, 15 serious and one other-than-serious violations, and proposed $573,681 in penalties. The willful citations relate to the respirator, written hazard communication program, safety data sheet, fall protection and chemical hazard violations, and the serious and other-than-serious citations address the remaining safety violations.
“While Regal Industrial Corp. put safety and health measures in place at its Pennsylvania manufacturing facility, the company exposed workers at its Millville facility – in some cases willfully – to serious hazards,” explained OSHA Area Director Paula Dixon-Roderick in Marlton, New Jersey. “Prioritizing production over worker safety is never acceptable and can lead to serious injuries or worse.”
Founded in 1974 in Donora, Regal Industries Corp. provides abrasive blasting, metallizing and coating applications for steel and concrete structures such as bridges, marine structures, piping and railings.
The employer 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.
