U.S. Cites Naval Shipyard for 66 Safety Violations

The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, found three years ago to have the most hazardous working conditions of any of the nation’s eight government yards, was cited by federal officials Thursday for 66 health and safety violations, 42 of them serious.

Failure to protect workers’ limbs from saws and heavy machinery, requiring employees to work around chemical and human waste without protective equipment, and insects and vermin in some areas of the yard were among violations cited after a 3 1/2-month inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Federal officials said that although the violations are serious, the yard was “not one of the worst we’ve seen.”

Officials at the 4,100-worker yard said the majority of the violations have already been corrected and training has been instituted to prevent further problems.