OSHA’s inspection, which began in April 2010, found that the Postal Service failed to provide adequate electrical safety training, ensure that workers followed safety-related work practices while working on electrical equipment, provide workers with appropriate personal protective equipment while working on energized electrical equipment, address machine lockout procedures and hazards, and provide proper lockout/tagout training.
A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirement, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.
“These sizable fines reflect the severity and ongoing nature of these hazards,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “The Postal Service ignored long-established safety standards and knowingly put its workers in harm’s way.”
The U.S. Postal Service 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.
The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an enterprise-wide complaint against the U.S. Postal Service for electrical work safety violations.
The complaint asks the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission to order the USPS to correct electrical violations at all its facilities nationwide. This complaint marks the first time OSHA has sought enterprise-wide relief as a remedy.
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 assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance.
Statement from US Postal Service: In January 2010, the Postal Service began implementing an electrical work plan to enhance its safe electrical work practices for employees, and the Postal Service believes this plan meets OSHA standards.
The plan provides for electrical risk assessments, training, personal protective equipment, enhanced safe electrical work practices and insulated tools. As a result of the plan, the Postal Service has already provided 123,000 hours of training for more than 20,000 maintenance employees.
We are in the process of distributing more than $2 million in protective safety gear to them. In situations where items are on back order from our national suppliers, local management is in the process of purchasing items locally.
A sampling of the nearly $2 million in protective gear includes: * Safety glasses * Face shields * Voltage rated gloves * Flame resistant gloves * Flame resistant lab coats * Flame resistant coveralls
The Postal Service places the safety and well being of its employees as a top priority. The Bureau of Labor statistics validate that the Postal Service works twice as safe as other delivery organizations. The National Safety Council recognized more than 5,800 of our employees for driving a million miles without an accident. No other business comes close.
The Council's 2009 Safe Driver of the Year award was presented to one of our dedicated employees who drove two million accident free miles.