Auto Broker Fined $379k Over Safety Hazards

An international automotive transportation broker based out of Georgia was fined nearly $380,000 after an investigation by the US Department of Labor found the company was endangering the safety of its employees allowing them to work in dangerous conditions.

According to a release from the DOL, W8 Shipping LLC, based out of Savannah, Georgia "willfully exposed workers to the risk of being struck or crushed by falling vehicles elevated by forklifts during loading and unloading" of shipping containers destined for other countries.

“For decades, established safety standards have been in place to protect workers from dangers that W8 Shipping’s employees face and yet the company chose to ignore federal regulations,” explained OSHA Acting Area Director Heather Sanders in Savannah, Georgia. “When it comes to workplace safety, shortcuts are the quickest route to serious injuries or worse.”

W8 Shipping LLC is also accused of allowing employees to operate forklifts with obstructed views and without proper training or evaluations and numerous other "serious" violations pertaining to the health and safety of its employees. To read the full list of violations, click here.

In total, OSHA cited the company for 22 serious violations, one willful violation and one other-than-serious violation. W8 Shipping LLC faces $379,709 in proposed penalties.