The wall-to-wall inspection, which OSHA is conducting at the mill, is rare in the steel industry because of the commitment of time and resources involved.
At Rocky Mountain Steel, the Pueblo subsidiary of Oregon Steel Mills Inc., the agency expects the current inspection to last between one and two months.
The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) welcomed the start of the comprehensive inspection.
"We are glad to see OSHA in the mill because somebody has to stop the carnage before another worker dies," said Ernie Hernandez, president of USWA Local 2102, which represents production and maintenance workers at Rocky Mountain Steel.
USWA representatives said the deteriorating safety conditions at the company are underscored by the deaths of two workers in less than 10 months.
"We have tried for years to teach this company that safety cannot be an afterthought," said Hernandez. "They obviously haven't heard us, but hopefully they will hear what OSHA has to say."
The latest inspection of the Rocky Mountain Steel Mill follows other recent safety and health violation enforcement efforts OSHA has taken against the company.
In July 1999, Oregon Steel's Rocky Mountain Steel Mills subsidiary received the second-largest OSHA fine in Colorado history -- $400,000 -- for violations of health and safety law at the Pueblo mill.
Since then, the company has been fined for further violations, including those which involved the death of one worker and the double amputation of a second workers arms.
About the Author
EHS Today Staff
EHS Today's editorial staff includes:
Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.
Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.
Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.