Documents show the federal agency levied the penalty last week after a routine inspection of the North Portland site in late February. The inspector found ICTSI Oregon to be in violation of more than a dozen worker safety codes, such as not informing employees about potential exposure to airborne lead and having workers operate machinery that lacked proper guards against flying objects.
The union, meanwhile, has repeatedly said the company skimps on safety at the site known as Terminal 6.
“We’re grateful that OSHA is stepping in to hold ICTSI accountable for its failure to protect the men and women who work at Terminal 6,” ILWU spokeswoman Jennifer Sargent said from San Francisco. “ICTSI is accustomed to operating in low-wage countries where workers don’t have the same rights we have in the United States.”