Auto Auction Faces $267,081 in OSHA Penalties After Five Killed

OSHA has cited Lynnway Auto Auction Inc. for electrical, struck-by, and other hazards at its auto auction facility in Billerica, Massachusetts, a town just north of Boston.
On May 3, 2017, OSHA inspected the facility after five people were struck by a sport utility vehicle and died from their injuries. According to the Boston Globe, nine other people were injured.
OSHA issued 16 citations to the company for motor vehicle hazards, blocked exit routes, violations of the hazard communication standard, and recordkeeping deficiencies.
Lynnway faces proposed penalties totaling $267,081.
“This company was cited in 2014 for exposing employees to similar hazards,” says OSHA Regional Administrator Galen Blanton, in Boston.
“It is critically important that employers remain vigilant about safety and implement required safety measures.”

Joint Employer 

OSHA also conducted a joint employer inspection, and determined that temporary workers from TrueBlue Inc. doing—business as PeopleReady—assigned to work at Lynnway Auto Auction were also exposed to struck-by hazards.
The agency cited the Dover, New Hampshire, staffing firm for one serious violation for a struck-by hazard, and proposed a penalty totaling $12,675.
View the citations for Lynnway Auto Auction Inc. and TrueBlue Inc. dba PeopleReady.
The companies have 15 business days from receipt of their 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.