Sowles to appeal OSHA fines in worker deaths.(BUSINESS)

L.H. Sowles Co. has appealed the four citations and $57,000 in fines levied against it by the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for alleged safety violations that may have contributed to the deaths of two electricians in an accident Dec. 2 at the Piper Jaffray Center construction site in downtown Minneapolis.
Lari Kippen, safety director for the Minneapolis-based steel erector contractor, said Tuesday that OSHA's findings had "a bunch of things that we feel were unjust, and we want to talk about it."
Sowles sent its appeal letter to OSHA last week, Kippen said. An OSHA spokesman said the agency had not received the letter as of the end of business Monday, the deadline to file an appeal. OSHA will accept the appeal if the company can prove by its mail registration receipt that the letter was mailed before the deadline.
The general contractor on the Piper construction job, Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies, also has appealed the two citations and $28,500 in fines OSHA imposed on it.
Officials and attorneys from the companies next will meet with representatives from OSHA and the Minnesota attorney general's office to discuss OSHA's findings.