Cargo-Handling Firm Fined Nearly $339K for Workplace Hazards at O’Hare Airport

Federal safety workplace officials have cited a major cargo-handling company for exposing forklift operators at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to struck-by and electrical hazards, and proposed penalties of more than $338,000.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said this is the third time in less than three years that it has cited Alliance Ground International for safety violations. The current citations are for two willful, one repeated violation, five serious violations and one other-than-serious violation of powered industrial vehicle and electrical safety standards. Proposed penalties total $338,881.

The agency said it found violations of these hazards at Alliance’s Chicago facility in September of 2014 and its Schiller Park facility in December of 2013.

Acting on a complaint and as part of the agency’s Regional Emphasis Program on Powered Industrial Vehicles, a March investigation by federal inspectors also found Alliance Ground International failed to:

• Remove damaged forklifts from service.
• Inspect forklifts on a shift-by-shift basis.
• Use manufacturer recommended parts when repairing forklifts.
• Maintain fully charged fire extinguishers.
• Inspect fire extinguishers monthly.
• Maintain electrical equipment to prevent employer exposure to open panels and exposed wiring.

Based in Chicago, Alliance Ground International provides airline cargo-handling services for 32 airlines. The company also operates at airports in Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Newark, New York, Orlando and San Francisco.

Cited on Sept. 8, the company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: OSHA

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