Acting Tough: When Cameras Leave, OSHA Penalties Wither

[Jordan Barab]

Thought this might interest you all.

 

 

Acting Tough: When Cameras Leave, OSHA Penalties Wither

http://www.propublica.org/feature/acting-tough-when-cameras-leave-osha-penalties-wither-917/

 

After an explosion tore through a sugar refinery in Georgia in February, killing 14 workers and injuring 40, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration acted swiftly, announcing an $8.8 million fine against Imperial Sugar for not protecting workers against the hazards of combustible dust. The proposed fine, disclosed last month, is the third highest in the agency's 37-year history. But if that same history is a guide, OSHA will end up collecting half that much money, or less.

ProPublica reviewed the agency's previous 25 highest announced penalties. In 19 cases, the fines were sharply reduced after appeals and negotiations, dropping an average of 65 percent. Three others were settled the day they were announced after closed-door talks between the agency and companies and three remain open.

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Jordan Barab