GM-Toyota Plant Accused of Safety Violations, Fined

The big General Motors-Toyota auto plant in Fremont, Calif., which produced 128,000 Chevrolets and Toyotas last year, was accused of 16 safety violations and fined $6,390, federal officials said.

The citations, including unsafe operation of the high-tech plant’s industrial robots, were issued by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The 60-acre plant, operated jointly by General Motors Corp. of Detroit and Toyota Motors Corp. of Japan, is called New United Motors Manufacturing Inc. and employs 2,700 workers.

An OSHA inspection team visited the plant after a worker complained, OSHA announced.

The U.S. Labor Department agency charged the plant with 11 serious and five other violations.

The serious citations, carrying fines, included inadequate guards on saws and grinders, lack of proper eye protective gear, improperly stored flammable compressed gasses, inadequate employee training in emergency procedures and several unsafe procedures in the use of industrial robots.

The plant has 15 days to correct the hazardous conditions and pay the fines or contest the citations.