Nassco, OSHA Work Out Pact to Inspect Shipyard

U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors and Nassco officials reached agreement Monday on a thorough safety inspection of the shipyard in the wake of a six-month investigation of a crane accident that left six workers dead and six injured.

The agreement, announced by both sides, staved off a court battle over objections by National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. to terms of the inspection last week.

Under the new agreement, a six-person OSHA team will begin a four-week “wall to wall” inspection of the work area today.

However, Fred Hallett, Nassco spokesman and vice president, said the probe will be limited to safety matters. Initially, OSHA officials had proposed a nine-person team, including three industrial hygienists, who would also conduct a health inspection of the shipyard.

Jack Rhodes, a supervisor with the local OSHA office, said the hygienists would have checked for traces of asbestos, lead or other toxic agents.

Plans for a nine-person inspection team were sidetracked after Nassco asked that company representatives be allowed to go along with the inspection team. Then, Rhodes said, the company complained that it did not have enough specialists to accompany a nine-person team.

“They (Nassco) said they would be stretching their own safety team too thin. . . . So we agreed on a six-person, rather than a nine-person, inspection team,” Rhodes said.

Last week, Hallett blamed OSHA for creating an impasse over the inspection, charging that OSHA officials had refused to let the company’s representatives accompany the inspection team.

This was denied by John Hermanson, local OSHA director, who said Nassco officials were blocking the inspection for “other” reasons.

Rhodes said the inspection team includes Cindy Coe, an industrial hygienist for OSHA, who will refer any health violations to the agency’s local office. Any health referrals made by the inspection team will be investigated, Rhodes said.

On Monday morning, about 24 Nassco workers picketed in front of the shipyard, protesting the company’s refusal to allow OSHA inspectors in the yard. The workers and union leaders charged that Nassco was trying to buy time to correct several problems at the yard, a charge Hallett denied.