Kansas Company Hit with $134K in Penalties for Safety Violations
Federal safety officials have proposed fining a Kansas-based company nearly $134,000 for what the officials say were welding safety violations in Omaha, Neb.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said that it has cited Watco Cos. Inc., of Pittsburg, Kansas, for three repeat and three serious safety violations. A spokeswoman for Watco told The Associated Press that she couldn’t immediately comment.
OSHA inspectors say Watco let workers enter rail cars to perform repair tasks, including welding, without implementing procedures required under OSHA’s regulations for work in confined spaces.
The agency says a Watco worker had reported suffering respiratory inflammation after doing welding work inside a rail car in Omaha.