Auto parts supply company Daeil is putting employees in danger and failing to meet regulatory standards, and has been for quite some time. Usually, OSHA is able to step in and correct issues like this through fines and citations. However, Daeil is complicating this process. OSHA has tried several times to rectify their dangerous workplace conditions, but the auto parts company is simply refusing to change their practices.
“Management at this facility has adopted a productivity-over-safety mentality and repeatedly claims that it is ‘too expensive’ to address the safety hazards found in this workplace,” said area OSHA director Joseph Roesler.
That ‘productivity-over-safety mentality’ has lead Daeil to a business plan that did not involve developing, documenting or employing procedures that prevented dangerous machinery from turning on during maintenance processes and one that did not provide workspaces safe from slipping hazards or standard welding hazards, among other things.
These are all problems that could – and should – have been solved just by using a comprehensive safety software. The software would have reminded management when trainings were necessary and what hazards needed to be addressed immediately before OSHA had to step in and issue citations. However, the problem at Daeil runs deeper: the company is refusing to address the cited problems and so just keeps perpetuating a culture where employees are constantly at risk.
Currently one Daeil facility in Alabama owes upwards of $170,000 for several violations of mixed severity, five of which were repeated violations. They need to install a safety plan that will address these violations and promise to stick to that plan for the safety and well-being of their employees as well as their budgetary security in the face of intense regulatory fines.
“The safety culture of this company must change immediately,” Joseph Roesler said. “Protecting workers must always come before profit margins.”
