U.S. Cites Lockheed for 230 Additional Safety Violations
Two months after agreeing to pay a $1.5-million penalty for hundreds of alleged workplace safety violations at its Burbank aircraft manufacturing plant, Lockheed Corp. was cited Tuesday for 230 additional violations carrying proposed penalties of $44,200.
The new penalties, which Lockheed has 15 days to pay or appeal, were recommended by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration after what the agency described as a “wall-to-wall” inspection of Lockheed’s plants in Burbank, Palmdale and Santa Clarita.
OSHA ordered the inspections, conducted between March and August, as a follow-up to its inspection of certain sections of the Burbank plant, which employs about 14,000 people in more than 200 buildings, between last September and January.
That inspection--prompted by workers’ claims that dozens of employees had become ill from exposure to hazardous substances at the Burbank plant--resulted in citations last March for 440 violations of safety and health-related record-keeping rules.
Settlement Agreement
The agency said, among other things, that Lockheed failed to properly mark which chemicals and other materials were dangerous and that it kept poor records about which workers became sick or injured at the plant. In response, Lockheed agreed as part of a settlement to pay OSHA’s proposed $1.5-million fine, the highest ever paid by a company for health and safety violations in California.
Among the latest violations cited by OSHA were Lockheed’s inadequate guarding of machines, the lack of protective equipment, electrical hazards and inadequate compliance with rules requiring workers to be warned of workplace hazards.
But in announcing the new citations, OSHA said most of the violations had already been corrected and that they expect the remainder to be corrected shortly. The agency said it is not uncommon to find such violations during major reviews of big manufacturing plants.
OSHA also complimented Lockheed for its cooperation. Frank Strasheim, OSHA regional administrator in San Francisco, said in a statement that the latest inspections found that Lockheed had increased its safety and health staff and demonstrated a “renewed commitment . . . to providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees.”
Lockheed declined comment on whether it will appeal the new citations, saying through a spokesman that it is “pleased that OSHA had such complimentary comments.”
Dale Daniels, executive vice president of Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Co., the Lockheed aerospace division that operates the three plants, said in a statement that Lockheed’s policy “has been and will continue to be to work with OSHA to ensure compliance with their regulations.”
Stealth Jet Fighter
The Burbank plant is where Lockheed is building the top-secret Stealth jet fighter, which is designed to evade enemy radar. Stealth aircraft typically are being made with plastic-like composites, materials made of chemicals and fibers that are lightweight, strong and absorb radar signals.
OSHA’s initial inspection of the Burbank plant came after about 90 Lockheed workers filed several civil suits against the company, alleging that they were injured on the job as a result of exposure to the composite materials and other chemicals and that the company failed to adequately warn them of the hazards.
The workers, some of whom also have testified before congressional panels in recent months, contend that they suffer from skin rashes, headaches and memory loss, among other problems. Lockheed is contesting the suits.
