|
WASHINGTON, DC -- Members of the House Education and Labor Committee today said that they were encouraged by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s serious response to the March 6, 2007 death of Eleazar Torres-Gomez at a Cintas uniform laundry facility.
“The citations against Cintas are strong first steps to make sure the company complies with basic worker protections throughout its operations," said Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “This should be a wake-up call for Cintas that worker safety is not a secondary concern. I encourage OSHA to follow up on this investigation and ensure that all laundry facilities eliminate this hazard where similar equipment is used."
Torres-Gomez was climbing on top of a laundry shuttle to un-jam a robotic laundry conveyor when he became caught and was dragged into an oven that dries clothing and was killed. Cintas initially blamed Torres-Gomez for the incident, but OSHA today found that Cintas ignored safety and health rules that could have prevented his death.
"I am glad that OSHA has stepped up to its responsibility to hold Cintas accountable for the safety violations that led to this tragic, and preventable, death," said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. "However, as Chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, I remain concerned about the safety of other workers at Cintas and other commercial laundry companies nationwide, as well as OSHA’s capacity to oversee and investigate large-scale nationwide operations."
Shortly after the death of Torres-Gomez, the Workforce Protections Subcommittee sent a letter to OSHA Assistant Secretary Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. calling for a full investigation into the safety hazards at all industrial laundries owned by the Cintas Corporation. OSHA initiated inspections at Cintas’ facilities at Columbus and Tulsa, resulting in proposed penalties of over $2.8 million. It has also announced that it has opened investigations at Cintas facilities in Arkansas and Alabama.
“The citation handed down by OSHA today proves that Cintas’ inaction led to the death of Mr. Torres-Gomez—despite the company’s ridiculous allegations that he tried to commit suicide or was too “stupid" to operate the machinery," said Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL). I am pleased at the historic amount of this fine and hope Cintas will begin to install necessary safety equipment in its laundries across the country. For too long, Cintas has found it cheaper to pay fines for labor and workplace safety violations than to actually change the way it does business."
Cintas is the nation’s largest uniform company, with over 200 large industrial laundries.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Kiley / Rachel Racusen
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-226-0853
###
|
|
