The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has slapped Colt with some hefty fines. From the Hartford Courant:
Colt Defense, which develops weapons for military and law enforcement use, faces $151,500 in fines for 29 citations for explosion hazards, improper disposal of combustible materials and untrained employees, among other violations, OSHA officials said. Nearly half the proposed fine pertains to four repeat citations related to lead.
Colt’s Manufacturing Co., which makes handguns and rifles for the consumer market, faces $71,500 in fines for 21 citations, including failing to maintain respirators in a sanitary condition and failing to replace a worn wire rope on an overhead hoist, among other violations.
It doesn’t take much to draw a fine from OSHA. I know from personal experience at a fence company I worked for many years ago. Still, this sounds like piling-on.
I wonder if this is part of the effort to intimidate all things guns as we see the ATF doing to gun dealers?
8 Responses to “OSHA Fines Colt”
on 19 Sep 2007 at 8:24 am # jack
During my career in manufacturing I went through three OSHA inspections at three different companies. In each case I was able to negotiate down to one third or one half of what they wanted. I was also able to get on a time payment plan. The last one was about 15 years ago, so I don’t know what they do now. Colt can probably negotiate. Jack.
on 19 Sep 2007 at 9:32 am # Rick C
To be fair, I don’t think I’d want to work with an unsanitary respirator. Of course, I would be entirely unsurprised if OSHA and I disagree on the definition of “unsanitary.”
on 19 Sep 2007 at 9:52 am # Sebastian
Most of what I’ve heard from people who know would indicate that the whole OSHA mess last month was out of ignorance rather than malice. I doubt this is a case of OSHA specifically targeting gun makers, as much as OSHA being a meddlesome organization, much like the ATF, that loves to harass businesses.
I’m still wondering what connection there is to unsanitary respirators and interstate commerce. Someone should really explain that to me, because mandating sanitary respirators doesn’t appear to be an enumerated power granted to Congress in my copy of The Constitution.
on 19 Sep 2007 at 10:00 am # Affe
“I’m still wondering what connection there is to unsanitary respirators and interstate commerce. Someone should really explain that to me, because mandating sanitary respirators doesn’t appear to be an enumerated power granted to Congress in my copy of The Constitution.”
Do what the Supreme Court has for decades - just yell “Commerce Clause ! Commerce Clause !”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerce_clause
on 19 Sep 2007 at 11:25 am # Keith
I was one of a team investigating a fatality for the company where it happened (in Ireland), also on the team was an ex health & safety inspector.
I stood back and bit my tongue as he answered the official inspector’s questions with questions, like “show me what you think is wrong?”
in the end the official inspector went red in the face and backed off.
A lot of my work is health and safety orientated, and hearing about a fatality in a workplace makes my blood run cold, however when a place is well run and has a good health and safety culture, as that place did, then I’ll do my part to help them.
A big bit of “my part” is shutting the f*** up while an ex inspector who knows all the tricks does the talking bit, my written bits can be editted before they go out of the door…
Health and Safety inspections are a bit of a game, it’s easy for an inspector to find something stupid that’s wrong, but with a good adviser on their side, Colt should have a relatively easy time casting “reasonable doubt” on the accusations if there is a prosecution.
on 19 Sep 2007 at 1:45 pm # Sigivald
I sincerely doubt this is part of some organised attack on the firearms industry.
Remember, this is the Colt Defense division, which essentially works for the Government, developing weapons for the military, and selling them to the State.
An attack on civilian ownership of firearms would presumably focus on Colt’s civilian division.
on 19 Sep 2007 at 10:12 pm # john of sparta
as above…OSHA justifies its salary.
generate appropriate paperwork.
on 22 Sep 2007 at 8:11 pm # Jerry Smith
Colt’s products cross state.lines, hince interstate commerce applies. The Occupationl Safety and HEALTH Administration…is concerned with both operational safety hazards and occupational health hazards existing in the workplace… workers that wear protective equipment (respirators) are important. Keeping their respirators clean, properly fitting, and with frequent change of filters as necessary is vital. This is a very common “write-up” where spray painting or finishing is done by employees vs robotic methods. OSHA inspections are a cost of doing business, and have been since the early 70’s. It’s unlikely that Colt feels picked upon. The discrepancies can be discussed, corrected easily and the fines significantly reduced.
If your product crosses state lines, and you have more than 10 employees OSHA is gonna be visiting–period.
After being a health & safety manager for over 30 years and for Fortune Five Hundred companies…my professional opinion is that OSHA has no group opinion regarding gun rights yea or nay.