Eastford factory faces $140K in OSHA fines

An Eastford aircraft-parts maker faces nearly $140,000 in OSHA fines for alleged safety and health violations.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it slapped Whitcraft LLC with 44 alleged violations of workplace standards at its manufacturing plant at 76 County Road in Eastford, in the state's northeast corner.

Whitcraft faces a total of $139,680 in proposed fines for fire, explosion, chemical, mechanical and electrical hazards identified during comprehensive safety and health inspections of the plant begun in January, OSHA said.

Whitcraft President and co-owner Jeff Paul said the company will seek to reduce the fines associated with these citations.

"We were surprised by the safety violations identified," said Paul. "We already moved very aggressively to address OSHA's concerns. In the past two months we have remedied many of OSHA's concerns and have committed $150,000 for further improvements to enhance regulatory compliance and safety."

Whitcraft's Eastford facility primarily manufactures engine components for military and commercial jets, including the Joint Strike Fighter, F-22 and virtually all the major engines produced by Pratt & Whitney, General Electric and Honeywell. The company is privately held.

In addition to the Eastford factory that employs about 270, Whitcraft's parent owns Connecticut Tool, with about 80 workers in Plainville, and Reliable Manufacturing, with about 50 employees in Bloomfield.