Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025
5,191,473Inspections Most recent open 2026-07-28 Last loaded 2026-07-31

OSHA Inspection: NORTHWESTERN STEEL & WIRE COMPANY

Complaint inspection · Safety discipline

On , OSHA opened a complaint safety inspection of NORTHWESTERN STEEL & WIRE COMPANY in 121 WALLACE STREET, STERLING, IL 61081 (NAICS 000000). OSHA activity number 122306962.

What this inspection record means

OSHA opens inspections for many reasons — routine scheduling under a national or local emphasis program, an employee complaint or referral, or a follow-up after a reported injury. Opening or conducting an inspection is not itself an allegation or a finding that this employer broke any rule; any findings appear as the citations listed below, and citations can be contested, reduced, or withdrawn.

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Site address
121 WALLACE STREET
City
STERLING
State
IL
ZIP
61081
Inspection type
Complaint (B)
Scope
Partial (B)
Discipline
Safety
Advance notice
No
Union status
Y
Opened
Closing conference
Case closed
Data loaded
NAICS code
000000
SIC code (legacy)
3312
Employees
2000
Ownership type
A

2 citations on file for this inspection.

5(a)(1)

Serious Gravity 02 1 instance 1 exposed
Issued
Mar 6, 1995
Abate by
Mar 17, 1995
Penalty
Initial $1,500 · Current $1,050 Reduced
Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to being struck by a falling custom made lifting device:
14" Mill. The employer did not ensure that custom made below the hook
lifting devices
used to lift tanks and garbage were used in accordance with ANSI B30.20.
a. 55 gallon drums with holes torch cut in the side were used to lift
various garbage and
debris.
b. 325 gallon tank had a custom made lifting attachment with no proof test
or rated
capacity.
Feasible and acceptable abatement methods include, but are not necessarily
limited to:
1. Provide the rated load on any custom made lifting device.
2. Design the lifting device to withstand the forces imposed by its rated
load with a
minimum design factor of 3, based on yield strength, for load bearing
structural
components.
3. Provide initial, frequent and periodic inspection of the lifting
device.  Deficiencies
may include:
-structural deformation, cracks, or excessive wear.
-loose or missing guards, stops, fasteners, or name plates.
-excessive wear of mechanical parts.
-excessive wear of hoist hooking points and load support clevises.
-kinking or fraying of wire rope components.
4. Ensure before initial use, all new, altered, modified, and repaired
lifting devices have
been tested in accordance with ANSI B30.20 - Below the hook lifting
devices.
5. Ensure in rated load testing, test loads do not exceed 125of the
rated load.
6. Train operators in the safe procedures for using such device before
initial use of the
device.  Verify that the operator has demonstrated the ability to use the
lifting device
after training.ted
Recent events (2)
  • — I (S) $1050.00
  • — Z (S) $1500.00

1910.253 D03 I

Serious Gravity 02 1 instance 1 exposed
Issued
Feb 17, 1995
Abate by
Feb 23, 1995
Penalty
Initial $1,500 · Current $1,050 Reduced
Recent events (2)
  • — I (S) $1050.00
  • — Z (S) $1500.00

View Northwestern Steel & Wire Company's full OSHA safety record →

This record is reproduced from the U.S. Department of Labor Open Data API (OSHA inspection dataset). The original IMIS detail view is available at OSHA's Establishment Search for activity number 122306962.

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