April 2, 2015
Employer name: United States Postal Service
Investigation site: 1720 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri
Date investigation initiated and what prompted inspection: On Jan.13, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated an inspection of a United States Postal Service mail processing site after receiving a complaint alleging unsafe working conditions at the facility.
Investigation findings: Investigators found blocked portable fire extinguishers, alarm systems and alarm systems such as circuit breaker boxes and transformers throughout the ground floor of the mail center. OSHA issued two repeated safety violations.
“These hazards found throughout the mail center are completely unacceptable. The threat of fire inside this structure exists and set procedures to safeguard this equipment must be continuously monitored and enforced,” said Bill McDonald, OSHA’s area director in St. Louis. “Employers that are cited for so many safety violations repeatedly demonstrate a lack of commitment to employee safety and health.”
OSHA previously cited the same facility for these violations in 2014. OSHA issues repeated violations when an employer has been previously cited for the same or a similar violation in the past five years.
Proposed Penalties: $45,000
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s St. Louis Area Office at 314-425-4249.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
Tri-County Area Local 3800
Office held, if any
Maintenance Craft Director
USPS will always not honor the contract or OSHA regulations. Simply put, they don’t care.
Thanks to the employee who got OSHA involved.
Management will do whatever they want.
Postmaster at Drexel Hill is no different when it comes to violating the CBA as well as OSHA regulations. He parks his personal vehicle in a mark area that blocks exit routes from the main office
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU Philadelphia, PA Area Local #89 - Retiree Chapter
Office held, if any
Member / 21CPW Site Administrator
Back in 2013, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union agreed to terms of a settlement that would improve safety in postal facilities across the country. So much for that unenforceable deal….
See: US Department of Labor and US Postal Service agree to terms on improving worker safety at postal facilities – OSHA.gov