OSHA is fining a Menomonie company for violating safety standards.

Badger Iron Works faces more than $110,000 in fines for what the U.S. Department of Labor says is multiple violations. Its 57 employees make iron castings. OSHA started the investigation last year and says there the company didn't provide proper training about respiratory hazards.

OSHA also fined the company for 23 serious violations for overexposure to silica, carbon monoxide, as well as for a lack of safety measures for its cranes, machines and power tools. OSHA says its fined Badger Iron Works for 12 of the last 17 inspections.

Here's the full release from the U.S. Department of Labor:

MENOMONIE, Wis. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $111,250 in fines against Badger Iron Works Inc. of Menomonie for alleged multiple willful and serious violations of federal workplace safety standards.

Badger Iron Works Inc. is a family-owned foundry that specializes in iron castings and employs 57 workers.

OSHA discovered the violations through an investigation under the agency’s Site-Specific Targeting Initiative, which targets the nation’s most hazardous workplaces based on their histories of having high numbers of injury and illness cases.

“Foundries are potentially dangerous workplaces,” said Mark Hysell, director of OSHA’s area office in Eau Claire, Wis. “Employers must remain committed to keeping the workplace safe and healthful or face close OSHA scrutiny.”

OSHA has issued citations for two groups of willful violations with proposed penalties of $98,000. The first group includes deficiencies in identification of respiratory hazards; providing medical evaluations for employees’ use of respirators, respirator fit testing and employee training; and performing evaluations of the respiratory protection program itself. The second group of violations includes overexposures to silica for multiple job locations and not establishing administrative or engineering controls related to these multiple exposures.

OSHA also has issued citations for 23 serious violations with proposed penalties of $13,250 covering a variety of issues including overexposure to carbon monoxide in a pouring operation; lack of administrative and engineering controls; deficiencies in the employer’s bloodborne pathogen exposure control plan; lack of training on the health effects of carbon monoxide for pouring operations employees; and deficiencies regarding an overhead crane, machine guarding, woodworking machinery requirements and portable power tool guarding.

OSHA opened this investigation in November 2006. The agency has conducted inspections at the Badger Iron facility on 17 different occasions since 1978, with 12 of those inspections resulting in citations.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure the safety and health of America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.