On Monday, OSHA announced more than $986,000 in safety violations for the largest transformer manufacturer in North America.
According to the U.S. Labor Department, OSHA inspectors visited Virginia Transformer Corp.'s (VTC) plant in Pocatello, Idaho, in June 2025. The visit was a follow-up after a pair of inspections last year found cranes used to handle heavy loads with faulty brakes and switches.
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Following the most recent visit, OSHA cited the company for 53 serious and repeat violations with proposed penalties reaching $986,888. OSHA inspectors found failures in machine guarding and providing personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as exposing workers to fall hazards.
The company has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings.
Safety has been an ongoing issue at VTC's facilities. According to OSHA's database, the company faced ten OSHA actions this year, following four in 2024. The citations stemmed primarily from health and safety issues at the company’s Roanoke and Troutville plants in Virginia; some were corrected during the inspection, and others were settled afterwards.
According to the company's website, VTC acquired the Idaho plant in 2003 from UST West. The Pocatello plant has its own rail line, allowing it to ship more than 100 tons of transformers throughout the U.S.
Last month, VTC announced expansion plans for its Rincon, Georgia, plant, with large power transformer production scheduled to start next month. The company boasts six world-class operations and the industry's shortest lead times.
The transformer supply chain is a problem for the domestic grid. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that the U.S. has about 60-80 million high-voltage distribution transformers in service. More than half are over 33 years old, approaching or exceeding expected lifespans.
Replacing them has become costly and time-consuming, as utilities report that transformers cost four to six times as much as before 2022, with wait times spanning years.
IEN reached out to VTC and OSHA, but neither immediately responded to our request for comment.
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