OSHA Delivers Fines to Houston Postal Service Branch

The failure of a U.S. Postal Service Houston branch office to protect employees from unguarded machine parts and other safety violations has resulted in citations and proposed penalties of $149,000 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Sandy Smith

July 2, 2002

OSHA cited the Franklin Street main branch facility in Houston with one alleged repeat, two alleged willful and two alleged serious violations following an investigation that began Dec. 28.

The Postal Service was cited with alleged willful violations for failing to protect employees from the exposed parts of horizontal shafts, failing to provide machine guarding from rotating parts and failing to use machine guarding to protect employees from nip-points on a conveyor belt.

The two alleged serious violations were for failing to maintain fixed ladders in a safe condition and failing to securely fasten machine guards to the frame of the machines.

The repeat violation was for failing to maintain sufficient safe clearance in aisles and passageways where mechanical equipment is used. The Postal Service was cited during the past three years for substantially similar infractions of the law.