Piedmont companies wracked up significant OSHA fines in 2023

Several local companies wracked up hefty fines from the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Division this year. 

A WFDD analysis found that four of the top ten most heavily fined companies in North Carolina this year are located in the Piedmont. Penalties ranged from $97,000 to over $200,000. 

Paul Sullivan, with North Carolina’s Occupational Safety and Health Division, says fines that high aren’t too out of the ordinary – they see at least a few each year. And he says they don’t necessarily indicate widespread safety issues. 

“We've had companies in the past have some of the highest penalties that were Carolina Star companies – they were outstanding companies with great safety programs," Sullivan says. "But something happened, there was a violation that occurred and maybe resulted in a fatality. We don't let the fact that they are a really good company cloud our investigation.”

For the four Piedmont companies that received the highest penalties, violations ranged from improper management of hazardous chemicals to insufficient head protection. In two cases, penalties resulted from an employee fatality. 

Companies that have been fined are subject to additional inspections to ensure safety. Sullivan says some violations are more common than others. 

“The lack of fall protection is number one, that is our number one cited standard in construction is the lack of fall protection, whether it's guard rails or a personal fall arrest system or something like that," he says. "We see that a lot.”

Sullivan says lock out/tag out violations, or penalties related to shutting off machines for maintenance, are also pretty common.