LOCAL

Cedar Fair faces $142,270 fine after worker injured at Cedar Point

Staff report
OSHA has hit Cedar Point with penalties of more than $142,000 for worker safety violations.

SANDUSKY - Cedar Fair LP, owner and operator of  Cedar Point Amusement Park, is facing penalties of more than $142,000 after an employee was seriously injured in a fall in April at the company's Sandusky amusement park.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Friday it has cited Cedar Fair LP for failing to protect workers from fall hazards after an employee suffered serious injuries at Cedar Point.

The company faces proposed penalties of $142,270 for one willful and one serious safety violation, the maximum penalties allowed under the law, according to OSHA.

OSHA inspectors determined the injured employee fell through a skylight April 11 while working as part of a three-person crew to remove insulating blankets and covers from a roof.

The worker was exposed to a 13-foot-fall hazard to the concrete below while working on the shelter house, according to OSHA's citation.

OSHA also cited the company for failing to train employees to recognize fall hazards.

“Falls like this are preventable if employers provide required fall protection systems when employees work at elevated heights, or near floor and wall openings,” said OSHA Toledo Area Office Director Kimberly Nelson in a release.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.