The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Polar Service Centers in Lansing, IL for violating whistleblower protections, and has ordered the company to pay wages and damages to a safety manager who was fired after he notified the United States Department of Transportation of safety violations at the company.

A safety manager with the tank trailer company told the DOT that he thought one of Polar’s customers was improperly certifying trailers and hauling hazardous waste materials. This is a safety violation and a dangerous thing to do; it could harm not just those at the company but everyone on the road. The manager asked the driver of these trailers for information to provide to the DOT regarding this safety violation. The manager was suspended indefinitely on September 12, 2013. He was then demoted, and then banned from talking to Polar customers or officials from the DOT. He was ultimately forced to resign.

Under OSHA’s whistleblower provisions employees are protected against retaliatory actions from their employer if they take a stand for their safety and for other’s safety, and report a concern, injury or violation. Workers can file a complaint with OSHA if they feel they have been retaliated against. There are whistleblower protections for those who report safety and health violations or concerns. This complaint was investigated as part of the whistleblower provisions of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act.

OSHA ordered Polar Service Centers to pay the worker $88,847 in back wages, $10,000 in punitive damages and $1,700 in compensatory damages. They also were ordered to pay attorney fees and in total they are looking at paying this worker $190,547. They took the wrong actions when an employee was concerned for not only his safety, but the safety of others at the company and people who would be out on the road with these trucks.