The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Admin. (MIOSHA) says it inspected and issued COVID-19 citations to nine Michigan businesses, including one in Berrien County. MIOSHA says the businesses were cited for serious violations for failing to protect workers and take safety precautions.
In Berrien County the following business was cited:
Lane Automotive in Watervliet, MI was fined $3,500 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including the lack of face coverings when employees were within six feet of each other, allowing barriers to be removed in break rooms so employee could sit next to each other and not avoiding larger meetings when social distancing was possible. The inspection was initiated from an employee complaint, view the full citation document.
Deficiencies that MIOSHA found at the nine businesses cited included a lack of health screenings, face coverings, employee training, cleaning measures and overall preparedness plans.
The cited companies will have 15 working days from receipt of the MIOSHA citations to contest the violations and penalties. The citations include suggestions to fix the hazards. Employers must provide proof to MIOSHA that abatement has been completed.
