Historic foundry faces nearly $1M in penalties after Department of Labor finds dozens of violations endangering workers in Syracuse

NEW YORK ­­– Federal inspectors have found a Syracuse iron foundry, operating for more than 150 years, continued its pattern of violating federal regulations. The foundry has been cited for more than two dozen willful, repeat, serious and other violations.

Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Frazer & Jones LLC in October 2024 for exposing employees to the risks of fire and explosion, thermal and chemical burns, falls, and other hazards.

In 2023, OSHA cited Frazer & Jones, operator of one of the nation’s largest ductile and malleable iron foundries, for two serious violations. In 2021, the company reached a settlement agreement with the department and agreed to correct 60 violations and pay $276,189 in penalties identified in a 2019 inspection.

“Frazer & Jones’ troubling history of exposing its employees to serious hazards must end,” said OSHA Area Director Jeffrey Prebish in Syracuse, New York. “Despite their agreement to correct violations, they once again failed to implement proper safeguards. OSHA will continue to perform its mission and hold employers accountable when they fail to meet their legal obligations to protect the safety and health of their workers.”

OSHA cited the foundry operator for four willful, 13 repeat, seven serious and three other-than-serious violations and assessed penalties set by federal statute, totaling $990,186 in proposed fines. Read the health and safety citations.

Specifically, inspectors found Frazer & Jones exposing employees to the following hazards:

• Fire and explosion from uncapped natural gas vent lines during industrial furnace maintenance.
• Struck-by injuries while operating cranes, hoists and lifting devices with identified deficiencies.
• Falls from walking and working surfaces not protected by guardrails. 
• Asphyxiation from hazardous atmospheres for workers entering the kiln, a permit-required confined space, for maintenance.
• Caught-in dangers from failing to lock-out energy sources before machine maintenance.
• Thermal burns while lighting burners with a natural gas torch.
• Chemical burns while using hazardous chemicals without labels and emergency eyewash stations inaccessible to employees working with corrosive chemicals.
• Overexposure to respirable crystalline silica without engineering controls or respiratory protection.

Frazer & Jones LLC in Syracuse employs about 150 people who cast components for use by the automotive, construction, electrical, natural gas, oil and gas, rail, tool and utility industries throughout the U.S.

Frazer & Jones LLC has contested its citations and penalties to the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Learn about controlling hazardous energy and permit-required confined spaces. Learn more about OSHA.