Des Moines Postal Facility Issued $119,000 Fine for OSHA Violations

The University Station post office and sorting facility in Des Moines, IA was issued fine of $119,000 for two repeated and two serious OSHA citations on June 2. 

OSHA launched the investigation following a complaint in December that alleged various safety concerns.  Violations include:

• Workers are exposed to slip, trip and fall hazards because a jagged, metal conduit extended vertically into carriers’ walking path.
• A mechanical fire door located in between the parking garage and mail sorting facility was inoperable. Birds had nested in the rusted mechanism. 
• Emergency exit routes and doors were blocked by mail carts.
• Workers were not trained for the Emergency Action Plan.

”By failing to train workers in what to do in an emergency and allowing fire doors to be inoperable and exit and traveling routes to be blocked, the U.S. Postal Service is putting its workers at risk in the event of an emergency in the facility,” said Larry Davidson, OSHA's Des Moines area director.