Lockheed Hit With New List of Workplace Violations

Two months after agreeing to pay a $1.5-million penalty for hundreds of alleged federal workplace safety violations at its Burbank aircraft manufacturing plant, Lockheed Corp. on Tuesday was cited for 230 additional violations carrying proposed fines of $44,200.

The new penalties, which Lockheed has 15 days to pay or appeal, were recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after what the agency described as a “wall-to-wall” inspection of Lockheed plants in Burbank, Palmdale and Rye Canyon near Valencia.

The three operations were inspected between March and August as a follow-up to OSHA’s earlier inspection of Lockheed’s Burbank plant, which employs about 14,000 people in more than 200 buildings.

That inspection--prompted by workers’ claims that dozens of Burbank employees had become ill from exposure to hazardous substances--resulted in citations last March for 440 alleged violations of safety- and health-related record-keeping rules. In response, Lockheed agreed to pay OSHA’s proposed $1.5- million fine, the highest ever paid by a company for health and safety violations in California.

In announcing the new citations, OSHA officials took pains to compliment Lockheed for its cooperation.

Frank Strasheim, OSHA regional administrator in San Francisco, said the latest inspections found that Lockheed had increased its safety and health staff and placed “renewed commitment . . . to providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees.”

The corporation declined to comment on whether it will appeal the new citations, saying through a spokesman that it is “pleased that OSHA had such (complimentary) comments.”

Violations cited by OSHA in the latest inspection included inadequate guarding of machines, the lack of protective equipment, electrical hazards and inadequate compliance with rules requiring workers to be warned of workplace hazards.

OSHA inspectors said most of the alleged violations had already been corrected and that they expect the remainder to be corrected shortly.