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The Labor Department fined Republic Steel $2.4 million for health and safety violations at its facilities in Canton, Lorain and Massillon as well as one in Blasdell, N.Y. Steel shipments were reported to be better than expected. This photo shows the Canton facility in 2008.

(Scott Shaw, Plain Dealer file photo)

CANTON, Ohio -- Republic Steel has agreed to pay a $2.4 million fine and "settle alleged health and safety violations" at four of its facilities, including three in Ohio, the Labor Department reported Monday.

The agreement covers Republic facilities in Canton, Lorain and Massillon as well as one in Blasdell, N.Y. The arrangement was reached with the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA.

The violations the company were cited for included: failing to provide workers with adequate protection against falls, failing to protect employees who service or maintain machines and failing to provide machine guarding to protect workers from hazardous machinery.

"The comprehensive settlement, in which the company agrees to abate all cited hazards and implement numerous safeguards to prevent future injuries, addresses more than 100 safety and health violations found by OSHA at the company's facilities during inspections conducted in the fall of 2013," said the Labor Department news release.

The settlement also covers citations the company contested from two previous inspections. One involved a June 2013 arc flash incident at the Lorain facility. An arc flash is an unwanted electrical discharge that travels through the air between conductors or from a conductor to the ground. It is hazardous because it usually results in an explosion. The incident involved "numerous fall hazards" at the company's Canton facility that OSHA issued with citations in August 2013.

In a news release, the company said management has been diligent about correcting violations.

"Naturally, given the breadth of OSHA's inspection, and the enormous size of the company's facilities, OHSA found violative conditions, many of which the company was not aware," said the release. "When these conditions were brought to the company's attention, the company promptly took steps to correct them."

Jaime Vigil, the company's president and CEO, said Republic wanted to do the right thing.

"When our owners purchased this company in 2005, they acquired a business that had gone through multiple bankruptcies, burdened by aging and antiquated facilities, and neglected over an extended period of time due to the financial situation of the company" he said in the release.

The release continued: "Republic's new owners have invested over $700 million into the Company, protected thousands of jobs, and made countless safety upgrades."

The United Steelworkers were involved in crafting the agreement, the union said in a news release.

"The settlement includes a very comprehensive injury and illness prevention program that goes far beyond simple compliance with OSHA standards," said the USW release. "Under the program, Republic and the USW will work together to find and fix workplace hazards.

David McCall, director of USW District 1 in Ohio and chair of the union's Republic Steel bargaining committee, said the union is pleased with the agreement.

"This is a terrific agreement, and it clearly shows the value of strong OSHA enforcement," he said in the release. "We commend both OSHA and Republic for their willingness to work toward a settlement that puts the safety and health of Republic employees first. This new program gives us the tools to correct problems and creates a model system for preventing injuries and illnesses. It will lead to a safer company and to a stronger one."

As a term of the agreement, Republic has "agreed on additional penalty amounts in the event there is a determination of substantial non-compliance with the agreement."

The release said the company will, "hire additional safety and health staff; conduct internal safety and health inspections with representatives of the United Steelworkers; establish and implement a comprehensive safety and health management program to identify and correct hazardous working conditions; hire third-party auditors to assure that hazards are identified and improvements are made; and meet quarterly with OSHA staff to assure implementation of this agreement."

Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said he expected change at Republic Steel as a result of this agreement.

"By agreeing to the terms of this settlement, Republic Steel has demonstrated a commitment to change its culture, invest in its employees, and work with OSHA and the United Steelworkers to make significant changes at its facilities that will improve the safety and health of its workers," he said in the release. "The Labor Department looks forward to working with Republic Steel to ensure that it lives up to its commitment to improve workplace safety."