OSHA Fines Tennessee Firm For Illegal Termination
2011-11-30 |
The federal government's safety agency recently fined a Knoxville-based company and ordered them to pay damages to a worker who was blew the whistle on safety violations.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration forced Heartland Transportation to pay the fee and ordered them to reinstate an employee, after the company violated the Surface Transportation Assistance Act. The worker in question was fired after he filed a complaint regarding the use of defective vehicles.
The local OSHA leadership said that the safety issue was serious.
"Putting defective trucks on American roads endangers the company's drivers and all other motor vehicle operators who share the road with a truck that is improperly maintained. Drivers have a right to complain without fear of retaliation when they are asked to operate an unsafe vehicle," said Teresa A. Harrison, OSHA's acting regional administrator in Atlanta.
Other firms have been getting into trouble for dismissing employees who raise concerns over unsafe conditions. Goodman Manufacturing was ordered to pay back $150,000 and reinstate a worker who was illegally fired.
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