OSHA proposes $2.78m fine against Ohio-based uniform supplier

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $2.78m in penalties against Ohio-based Cintas Corp.

The move follows an investigation into the March 2007 employee death at the Cintas laundry facility in Tulsa, Okla. The employee was killed when he fell into an operating industrial dryer while clearing a jam of wet laundry on a conveyor that carries the laundry from the washer into the dryer.

Assistant secretary of labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr., commented: "Plant management at the Cintas Tulsa laundry facility ignored safety and health rules that could have prevented the death of this employee."

“Plant management at the Cintas Tulsa laundry facility ignored safety and health rules that could have prevented the death of this employee.

Assistant secretary of labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr.

In a separate case, OSHA today issued citations with penalties totaling $117,500 for violations of the lockout/tagout and machine guarding standards found at the Cintas Columbus, Ohio, facility. OSHA also has opened investigations in Arkansas and Alabama. Washington, an OSHA State Plan state, has issued citations with proposed fines totaling $13,650, alleging violations for similar hazards at the Yakima Cintas facility.

Cintas has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to contest the citations and the proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Cintas is the largest uniform supplier in North America, with more than 400 facilities employing more than 34,000 people. The facility in Tulsa has 160 employees.