October 6, 2016

Iowa postal facility exposes workers to mold, electrical hazards
from unrepaired water leak

Employer name: U.S. Postal Service, 116 Oak St., Moorhead, Iowa

Citations issued: March 24, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Des Moines Area Office cited the postal facility for one repeated and four serious safety violations.

The citations follow an October 2015 OSHA investigation of a complaint alleging visible mold in the vestibule area of the postal facility. An investigation found workers exposed to slips, electrical hazards and respiratory illness because water was leaking into the facility causing the mold to form and also dripping onto the electrical panel.

Quote: "Employers must make visual assessment of their facilities on a routine basis and promptly repair maintenance issues that can cause an illness, slips, falls and other injuries," said Larry Davidson, OSHA's area director in Des Moines.

Proposed Penalties: $63,500

View Citations here.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Des Moines Area Office at 515-284-4701.

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Media Contacts:

Scott Allen, 312-353-6976, allen.scott@dol.gov
Rhonda Burke, 312-353-6976, burke.rhonda@dol.gov

Release Number: 16-610-KAN

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