CHICAGO — Federal officials on Tuesday proposed fining United Airlines $192,500 for multiple violations of worker health standards that inspectors uncovered during an audit of the carrier’s O’Hare International Airport operations.
The alleged health hazards ranged from the design of flammable-liquid storage cabinets to a failure to conduct a survey to determine the presence of asbestos. They were found during an examination of United’s largest airport hub conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration from November through February.
“United worked with OSHA throughout the inspection and took immediate action to address a number of issues raised,” said Megan McCarthy, a spokeswoman for Chicago- based United.
Earlier this month, OSHA proposed fining United $215,500 for a series of workplace-safety violations that were discovered during the same review.
However, United likely will pay far less than the total $408,000 fine that OSHA proposes if it can prove it has taken steps to correct the safety problems, said OSHA spokesman Brad Mitchell.
“Our first concern is getting the hazards corrected,” he said.
McCarthy said the nation’s second-largest carrier plans to meet with OSHA to evaluate the latest unsafe-workplace citations and to detail steps it has taken to eliminate potential health hazards.
“There is nothing more important than the safety of employees and customers,” she added.
