When two workers died last month in a violent chemical reaction at Ames Goldsmith Catalyst Refiners near Charleston, federal records showed the facility had previously been cited for safety violations in 2018. But that doesn’t mean inspectors had regularly checked on the operation in the years between. In fact, the facility had not been inspected again before the fatal incident, highlighting a problem with workplace safety in West Virginia and across the country: federal inspectors do not regularly inspect the most dangerous workplaces. Here’s how workplace safety inspections work in West Virginia, and why labor advocates are calling for more oversight to keep workers safe on the job.
How does OSHA inspect workplaces?OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, conducts thousands of workplace inspections every year, including hundreds at workplaces in West Virginia. OSHA inspectors aren’t required to notify workplaces when inspections are going to take place. When they find violations, inspectors can issue fines and citations. These are categorized based on severity, including willful, serious and repeated violations.Employers also have the right to contest or appeal those violations.
