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State hands out $33,400 in fines to businesses violating COVID-19 safety rules

Published  August 21, 2020 2:56pm EDT
Coronavirus in Michigan
FOX 2 Detroit

LANSING, Mich. - The state issued more than $30,000 in fines to six companies in its first round of citations for businesses caught breaking safety rules ordered in response to COVID-19.

As part of the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration's first series of safety inspections to help companies keep its employees safe, officials found three employers in Greater Detroit and three elsewhere with serious violations in how they conducted their work. 

“We’re focused on education first so employers know what they must do to safely reopen. But a failure to follow guidelines puts everyone at risk," said Sean Egan, the Michigan COVID-19 workplace safety director.

The businesses in violation include a loan service company in Pontiac, a mail distribution facility in Livonia, a gas station in Waterford, a fitness center in Saginaw, a home contractor in Eaton Rapids, and a roofing company in Niles. 

Financial penalties spanned from a $7,000 fine at a UPS distribution facility to a $2,100 fine at Coop's Iron Works. Per MIOSHA's "general duty" clause, employers must make their workplace free from "recognized hazards" that could cause harm to employees. In this case, that's COVID-19. 

RELATED: More than 50 employees at United Shore in Pontiac test positive for COVID-19

Fines can go as high as $7,000. Each company will have 15 working days from their cited date to contest any of the violations. 

Despite the fines, Egan emphasized that the majority of companies were in compliance with the governor's restrictions on safety.

While these citations are necessary to prevent potential serious illness, they are not a reflection of the tremendous cooperation we have seen from employers and their workers across the state,” he said. “A vast majority of businesses are doing their part to keep our economy open by following the proper guidance.”

Below is a breakdown of each company's failure to follow safety guidelines set forth by the state:

United Shore Financial Services in Pontiac

  • Allowed employees to work in shared office spaces without masks and within six feet of one another without masks
  • Allowed newly hired employees to meet in groups as big as 120 people without face coverings, seated less than six feet apart
  • Failed to notify employees within 24 hours of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the office
  • Fined $6,300

UPS distribution facility in Livonia

  • Didn't ensure employees received daily entry health screenings
  • Allowed workers to work within six feet of each other when it was feasible to have them work farther apart
  • Didn't require face coverings or six feet of separation
  • Didn't ensure sufficient cleaning measures for delivery vehicles
  • Training failed to prepare employees for the response plan
  • Fined $7,000

Speedway gas station in Waterford

  • Allowed employees to inadequately wear face coverings and didn't appropriately enforce mask or social distancing rules
  • Didn't conduct daily health screenings
  • Didn't train employees to recognize symptoms of COVID-19
  • Didn't inform customers of the requirement to wear face coverings
  • Fined $6,300

Coop's Iron Works in Saginaw

  • Didn't configure workout stations that allowed for enough distance between individuals during exercise sessions
  • Didn't close steam rooms or saunas
  • Didn't require employees to wear face masks 
  • Didn't post a sign outside informing patrons to not enter if they were feeling symptoms of COVID-19
  • Fined $2,100

Dan Freed in Eaton Rapids

  • Allowed workers to work within six feet of one another when it was feasible to have them work farther apart
  • Didn't require face masks when they couldn't maintain six feet of separation
  • Didn't develop COVID-19 preparedness and response plan
  • Didn't conduct COVID-19 training with employees
  • Fined $6,400

Hills Roofing, LLC in Niles

  • Allowed workers to work within six feet of one another when it was feasible to have them work farther apart
  • Didn't require workers to wear face coverings when they couldn't maintain social distancing
  • Didn't develop a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan
  • Didn't conduct employee training on COVID-19
  • Fined $5,300