OSHA Fines Auburn Company $816,500 For Falsifying Records

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed a massive $816,500 fine to an Auburn-based company for falsely reporting that it had fixed various safety violations in its Ohio factory. According to public records, this is the largest fine issued to a Maine company in over 5 years.

Formed Fiber Technologies produces interior automobile trim for a number of different manufacturers, including Toyota and General Motors. It operates out of two manufacturing facilities: one in Sidney, Ohio, and another in Sumter, South Carolina.

In October 2013, OSHA cited Formed Fiber Technologies $69,000 for safety violations involving hydraulic presses. These violations including failure to implement safety measures to prevent unexpected machine startups, and the use of "unsafe methods" for shutting down the machine for maintenance/repairs. The company agreed to pay the fine and fix the violations.

But OSHA officials allege Formed Fiber Technologies did not fix the safety violations involving the hydraulic presses at its Ohio factory. OSHA released a statement last week, saying the hydraulic presses expose the factory's 340 workers to "amputations and other hazards."

Typically, companies implement lockout/tagout procedures to prevent any accidental use of machines during maintenance and repairs. These procedures ensure the device cannot be turned on -- intentionally or unintentionally -- until the maintenance is performed and the lockout/tagout has been removed.

Prior to the October 2013 inspection, OSHA had inspected Formed Fiber Technologies over a dozen times at both of its production facilities. This resulted in approximately 80 different violations -- and that's not counting the violations which allegedly occurred in October 2013.

Following news of OSHA's proposed $816,500 fined, Formed Fiber Technologies issued a statement:

"We have just received the OSHA reports. We have not yet had the opportunity to review and assess the information provided by OSHA regarding our Sidney, Ohio, plant. Therefore it would not be appropriate for us to make any detailed comments at this point in time.

We will of course be treating this matter very seriously, and we will be taking all necessary steps to review the current situation. The safety of our employees is our first and foremost priority,” wrote Chris Richard, chief operating officer at Formed Fiber Technologies, in a recent email to the Press Herald.

It's important to note that $816,500 is merely a "proposed" fine, meaning it could be subject to change.

Do you believe $816,500 is a reasonable fine for falsifying safety data? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below!