Faces more than $150,000 in penalties: The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a Prairieville company for 41 alleged workplace safety violations. OSHA has proposed penalties of $158,200 against Pearce Foundry Inc. The agency says the alleged violations include exposing workers to silica above federal limits. Pearce Foundry makes high-alloy metal castings for use in the dredging and mining industries. The company employs about 30 workers. It’s a subsidiary of The Pearce Group, also based in Prairieville. The foundry has 15 days to contest the findings.
Second drop in three months: U.S. businesses cut back on orders for aircraft, autos, heavy machinery and computers in June, sending demand for long-lasting manufactured goods lower for the second month in the past three. Orders for durable goods fell 2.1% last month, with the weakness led by a big drop in orders for commercial aircraft, the Commerce Department reported today. A number of other categories also showed weakness including autos and auto parts. A key category that tracks business investment plans fell 0.4% in June. Manufacturing has been the stellar performer in the two-year-old economic recovery. But activity slowed in the spring, reflecting in part supply disruptions following the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Manufacturing was also hurt by the hit the overall economy took from higher energy prices, which dampened consumer demand. The 2.1% decline in June orders came after an even bigger 2.5% drop in April. Orders rose 1.9% in May.
