Forklift citations are among 27 safety violations regulators found at US Pipe and Foundry Co's plant in Bessemer.

The violations could result in penalties totalling USD85,000.

Among the serious violations, "an employee was observed operating a forklift without using a seat belt, and forklifts were operated that did not have working flashing lights or alarm signals for backing up," says the US Department of Labour's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

"The safety of this company's employees is compromised due to management's failure to perform maintenance and take common-sense steps to prevent injuries," says Roberto Sanchez, director of OSHA's area office in Birmingham. "OSHA will not tolerate this kind of blatant disregard for workers' well-being."

US Pipe manufactures ductile iron pipe and fittings and joint restraint gaskets and fittings for the water and wastewater industries. In addition to the Bessemer manufacturing facility, it has plants in Burlington, New Jersey; North Birmingham, Alabama; and Union City, California. US Pipe is a subsidiary of Mueller Water Products Inc, of Atlanta, Georgia.