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| LABOR VIOLATIONS |
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ADVANCED FIRE PROTECTION CHARGED WITH ONE HUNDRED FORTY
VIOLATIONS OF STATE LABOR REGULATIONS AT A SINGLE SITE |
| More complaints flooded in against Advanced
Fire Protection. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries sent a
letter to Advanced Fire Protection listing allegations of 147 violations at
the Seaview Elementary School project. They also listed another 56
violations of the ratio requirements, at the STA Downtown Transit Center (23
violations), the WSU Animal Disease BioCenter (3 violations) and at
Kennewick High School (30 violations), all during a period of less than one
year. Advanced Fire Protection’s tactics came under strong criticism at
the hearing. One brief stated:
"Apprentices by definition are less skilled workers. The state
requires their supervision at all times ... Safety considerations apply
as well ... [I]f [an] apprentice ... had fallen off his ladder ... no
one from Advanced Fire Protection would have been present to offer
assistance ... there can be no assurance ... that any[one] would be near
at a time of crisis."
By now, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries was becoming
concerned about Advanced Fire Protection’s track record. Washington State
Department of Labor and Industries sent Advanced Fire Protection a letter
charging Advanced Fire Protection with being:
"...responsible for willful and deliberate violations of the ratio
requirements in its approved standards .... [and] that these violations
were committed over an extended period of time and after the sponsor
[Advanced Fire Protection] was notified of the serious nature of the
problem."
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries had seen enough of
Advanced Fire Protection’s act. Washington State Department of Labor and
Industries petitioned for the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training
Council to review Advanced Fire Protection’s program, citing,
"...the clear evidence of Advanced Fire Protection’s misconduct ...
Advanced Fire Protection regularly allowed apprentices to work with no
journey supervision whatsoever ... [T]he evidence ... identif[ies] 140
ratio violations on the Seaview project, 80 of which involved
apprentices working with no journey supervision whatsoever.
On July 15, 1999, the Apprenticeship and Training Council passed a motion
to cancel Advanced Fire Protection’s Apprenticeship Training Committee and
program, "...due to the program’s many violations of the standards,
primarily ratio of apprentices to journeymen and a refusal to take
corrective action when directed by the department." |
| LITIGATION |
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FEDERAL CIVIL SUIT AGAINST ADVANCED FIRE PROTECTION OVER
MISMANAGEMENT OF 401K RECEIVES CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT STATUS |
| On October 15, 2002, the Western Washington
Federal District Court Judge Barbara Rothstein issued an approval of a
notice of a pending Class Action lawsuit in the case of Patricia Sorenson V
Advanced Fire Protection. The suit was filed over charges of Advanced Fire
Protection’s alleged violations of the Employee Retirement and Income
Security Act (ERISA), regarding their handling of Advanced Fire Protection
employees’ 401k funds, according to court documents and Advanced Fire
Protection workers. This important case, which was filed on March 21,
2002, could generate substantial settlements for former and current Advanced
Fire Protection employees, if it goes against Advanced Fire Protection. No
trial date has been set yet. |
| SAFETY
violations |
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WASHINGTON SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION ISSUED SEVERAL
SERIOUS CITATIONS AGAINST Advanced Fire Protection FOR WORK SITE SAFETY
VIOLATIONS |
| Although Advanced Fire Protection is a
relatively small company, it has had many safety violations. OSHA records
show that Advanced Fire Protection has received seven serious violations,
one repeats violation, eleven additional citations, multiple violations of
fall protection and electrical rules and a total of $4,245 in fines.
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