OSHA Inspection: SOUTHWESTERN SECURITY SERVICES INC.

Issued

Mar 9, 2001

Abate by

Mar 22, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $900 Reduced

General-duty citation text

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 the conditions listed below:
Southwestern Security Services, Inc. located  at 8915 Montana at the INS
Detention Center, in
El Paso, Texas, for the period of time up to and including January 10,
2001, at approximately
1100 hrs: The employees were exposed to being injured by inmates without
their being able to
communicate with other guards since at times the radios were not
functioning at all, or the
guards had reported to work without being issued a radio. These conditions
could have resulted
in injuries and possible death to the security guards. In the contract it
is stipulated that a
sufficient number of operable and compatible two-way radio units shall be
supplied to equip each
officer. This is the wording  between the Contractor (Immigration and
Naturalization
Service),
and Southwestern Security Services, Inc.
(a) The employer failed to keep the workplace free of hazards by either
not furnishing the
security guards two way radios when reporting to work, or by issuing non
operable two way
radios; which exposed employees to a violant takeover by the inmates.
(b) The hazard was a recognized hazard as stipulated by the Contract
between Immigration And
Naturalization Service, and Southwestern Security Services, Inc.
(c) The hazard was causing or likely to cause death or serious physical
harm to the employees.
(d) There is a feasable way to correct the hazard by insuring that each
guard is furnished an
operable two-way radio (as per the contract).