UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION
SECRETARY
OF LABOR, |
|
Complainant, |
|
v. |
OSHRC
DOCKET NO. 78-2060 |
JACKSONVILLE
SHIPYARDS, INC., |
|
Respondent. |
|
May 21, 1979
DIRECTION FOR REVIEW AND ORDER
Pursuant
to 29 U.S.C. § 661(i), the Order of Judge John J. Larkin, dated April 19, 1979,
approving the settlement agreement of the parties, is directed for review.
On
April 13 and 25, 1978, Respondent was issued four citations. Respondent
contested, among other items, items 8 and 12 of citation No. 3 respecting nonserious
violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. §§ 651
et seq. After the filing of the complaint and answer respecting the contested
items, a hearing was held on September 12, 1978. At the outset of the hearing,
the parties advised the judge that they had reached a partial settlement, with
respect to some but not all of the contested items, and that they would prepare
a written stipulation of settlement. The terms of the proposed settlement were
stated for the record before the Secretary presented his case in chief upon the
items remaining in dispute, and the parties specifically advised the judge at
this time that items 8 and 12 of citation No. 3 remained in dispute.
After
the close of the hearing, the parties filed their settlement stipulation dated
March 8, 1979. According to the accompanying cover letter, the parties
purported to dispose of ‘all outstanding issues.’ However, the parties did not
specifically refer to items 8 and 12 of citation No. 3.
On
April 19, 1979, Judge Larkin issued his order approving the settlement. Stating
that his disposition was consistent with the settlement, he, among other
things, affirmed items 8 and 12 of citation No. 3. In a letter also dated April
19, 1979, that accompanied his order, which he served on the parties and the
authorized employee representative, the judge stated that the parties should
advise him if he had improperly disposed of items 8 and 12, as well as 1 and
13, of citation No. 3, for he had been unable to determine the intent of the
parties with respect to these four items.
By
letter dated April 24, 1979, Respondent advised the judge that his order of
April 19, 1979, was correct except with respect to items 8 and 12, which
Respondent states ‘were withdrawn and should be listed as vacated and with no
penalty being assessed.’ Apparently Respondent’s position is that the Secretary
had agreed to withdraw the items. The Secretary has not responded to either of
the two letters, from the judge and from Respondent, both of which were served
upon the Secretary.
Because
the stipulated settlement is incomplete and the agreement of the parties
respecting items 8 and 12 is not clear on the record, we vacate the April 19,
1979 order of the judge and we remand the case for further proceedings.
FOR THE COMMISSION:
Ray H. Darling, Jr.
Executive Secretary
DATED: MAY 21, 1979
[ALJ Order not available.]