Most residents of the state of Pennsylvania have to work to get by. Without a regular paycheck, lives would fall apart, leaving individuals without places to live or vehicles to drive. Because it is necessary for so many to put in many hours of work each week, it is vital that employers take the steps necessary to make sure its workers are safe while doing the tasks associated with their jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is responsible for ensuring employers throughout the nation actually take those steps. Accordingly, under a variety of circumstances it will investigate a workplace.

One of the things that prompts OSHA to investigate a workplace is an accident. This is what brought the agency to Export Fuel Co., located in a Westmoreland County. This past summer a fatal work accident occurred at the company while a worker was doing some work on a pavement roller. In the course of the investigation OSHA uncovered many serious violations.

One of those violations is directly linked to the accident last summer-the business' failure to train workers not only in the operation of construction vehicles but maintenance of them as well. In addition the following serious citations were uncovered:

• The lack of a safe exit and means of egress
• Fall and electrical hazards
• Lack of machine and equipment guarding
• Lack of energy control procedures

When violations such as these are uncovered the business where they are found could be fined. In this case, the Pennsylvania company faces fines totaling $41,300.

Source: Tribune-Review, "Westmoreland fuel company cited for 18 safety violations," Paul Peirce, Feb. 27, 2013