Cement Maker Contests OSHA Citations In February Barge Fatality
Cement Maker Buzzi Unicem, which operates river cement terminals, is contesting citations and fines issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) over a February barge fatality. The agency announced August 17 that it has issued citations and fines totaling $62,500 in the case of a 50-year-old worker who fell from a barge into the Mississippi River at Natchez, Miss., in February. Coworkers unsuccessfully tried to rescue him, and his remains were not recovered until a month later.
The agency found the company “failed to make sure employees wore personal flotation devices when exposed to drowning hazards, did not install guardrails to protect workers from falling into the water and failed to train employees in first aid.” An investigation found that two other workers were also not wearing the devices. In addition, the agency said an eyewash station was not installed for workers exposed to corrosive materials.
On August 28, the company said it is contesting two of the five citations wholly, and the other three in part. In an August 28 statement, Buzzi Unicem said, “The company strongly contends that it did not violate the regulations set forth in the citations regarding personal floatation devices and guardrails, and therefore timely filed notice with OSHA that it is contesting the alleged violations contained in these citations (as well as certain aspects of the other citations). … The company objects to any characterization by OSHA that the citations are a final determination that the company violated any OSHA regulation or caused the death of our valued employee.”
Buzzi Unicem operates as River Cement Sales and sells brick, stone and related construction materials manufactured at cement plants in Greencastle, Ind.; Cape Girardeau and Festus, Mo.; Pryor, Okla.; Stockertown, Pa.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Maryneal, Texas. The company operates 30 cement terminals across the U.S. to distribute the cement into 21 states. Buzzi Unicem USA employs about 1,300 employees.
The protests now go before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review commission.
