Last month, the North Carolina Department of Labor issued the Conservators Center three serious citations, totaling a penalty of $3,000, following the investigation of a deadly lion attack.
A lion attacked and killed intern Alex Black while she was cleaning a cage in December.
In the citation, the Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSH) found that the Center exposed hazards to employees who worked there.
Following the citation, the Conservators Center requested an informal conference. That's an employer’s opportunity to present any questions, problems, concerns, evidence and abatement verification. There are three possible results:
1. The Department of Labor considers the employer’s information and decides to issue amended citations. The employer retains all of its appeal rights if this happens.
2. The department issues a “no change” letter, meaning that the citations will remain as they were originally issued. The employer has 15 working days from the day it receives the no change letter to file a notice of contest with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission of North Carolina or pay the penalty.
3. The department drafts an informal settlement agreement if it is determined that an agreement would be beneficial to employee safety and health or to expedite abatement or to resolve the case. The informal settlement agreement may include penalty reduction, modifying citations, mandating the establishment of safety and health guidelines, or requiring the correction of similar hazards at all company locations. The agreement will also include a statement that the employer waives the right to contest the citation issues and penalties agreed upon. The company has 15 working days to decide if it wants to sign the informal settlement agreement or file a notice of contest with the OSH Review Commission.
In this case, after the informal conference on July 4, the state issued a “no change” letter. Again, the Conservators Center has 15 working days from the day it receives the no-change letter to file a notice of contest with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission of North Carolina or pay the penalty. The department says it has not yet heard if the Conservators Center will contest or pay the fine.
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Conservators Center Exposed Employees To Hazards, NC Department of Labor Finds In Lion Attack Report
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