Freight handling company to pay $379K for exposing workers to the risk of being crushed by falling vehicles

An OSHA investigation has determined that W8 Shipping LLC, an international freight handling company, had employees working at its warehouse while automobiles and motorcycles were suspended overhead. The agency determined that W8 Shipping was subjecting workers to the risk of being struck or crushed by falling vehicles. The company also failed to provide necessary eye protection to employees and allowed flammable wood dust to accumulate throughout the facility, including on electrical outlets and machinery. The investigation uncovered that industrial trucks were often driven by untrained employees, views were sometime obstructed, and loads were frequently unstable. W8 Shipping faces $379,709 in penalties for 22 serious violations, one willful violation and one other-than-serious violation.

In a recent quote, OSHA Acting Area Director Heather Sanders said, “For decades, established safety standards have been in place to protect workers from dangers that W8 Shipping’s employees face and yet the company chose to ignore federal regulations. When it comes to workplace safety, shortcuts are the quickest route to serious injuries or worse.”