With the passage of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970, Congress created the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor and its purpose is to assure a safe and healthy working environment for men and women. The organization does this by setting and enforcing safety standards as well as providing education, outreach, and training. Employers are required to report all work-related fatalities within 8 hours. Work-related inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and loss of an eye must be reported within 24 hours.
The Pilot Online reports on a Florida ammunition manufacturer facing a steep fine for an explosion that killed two people. The accident occurred at 10:00 a.m. on September 14, 2018. Two employees were loading flash powder into a blast strip inside blast booths. The powder ignited and exploded.
The explosion killed a 42-year-old mother of three Christina Patterson at the scene. 56-year-old Thomas Fowler succumbed to his injuries a week later.
OSHA found seven violations in this incident. Six of those violations were classified as serious and one was classified as willful. A willful violation is defined as a violation in which the employer either knowingly refused to comply with a legal requirement or acted in plain indifference to the regard of employee safety.
Perry’s AMTEC Less Lethal Systems could face a fine of $188,290.
