BATH — Bath Iron Works faces a proposed fine of more than $171,000 from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for alleged violations of workplace safety standards at the Bath shipyard.

The charges include not providing safe working conditions for repairing pneumatic tires, with the report specifying an Oct. 10, 2011, incident in which an employee was seriously injured after a pneumatic tire exploded while he was working on it.

However, OSHA’s area director for Maine said today that despite the proposed fine, BIW made “very, very good strides” since its previous inspection.

On Monday, OSHA notified BIW, a General Dynamics company, of a proposed fine of $171,300 for “alleged repeat and serious violations of workplace safety standards at its Bath shipyard.”

The fines result from an inspection conducted under OSHA’s Site-Specific Targeting program of companies with higher-than-average injury and illness rates, as well as a local program that inspects all shipbuilding and boatbuilding and repair operations in the state, according to William Coffin, OSHA’s area director for Maine.

The inspection triggered citations for three alleged repeat violations with $93,500 in fines, and $77,800 for 15 violations classified as serious, meaning “there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.”

The repeat violations are similar to tripping and falling hazards cited in 2008, according to the report.

This morning, BIW issued the following statement regarding the finding:

“General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has received the results of OSHA’s 17-day inspection of the shipyard conducted during October (and) November 2011. Immediate action was taken to correct items identified during the inspection and all items have since been abated. We are in the process of reviewing the details of the report and we intend to request an informal conference with OSHA officials to further discuss the inspection results.

“The safety of our employees is a top priority at BIW and programs instituted over the last several years have enabled us to make good progress in reducing workplace injuries and ensuring compliance with applicable regulations. We will continue to emphasize safety in all aspects of our business and work with OSHA to further enhance the effectiveness of these programs.”

The proposed fines are far less than those BIW was hit with the last time OSHA inspected the shipyard.

In December 2007, allegations of 59 repeat, willful and serious violations triggered $ 441,500 in proposed fines against Bath Iron Works, which an OSHA administrator at the time called “ disturbing.”

Coffin, who has worked for OSHA in Maine for 25 years, said Bath Iron Works made significant progress since that 2007 inspection in addressing safety issues.

“It was a very, very good inspection,” he said today. “We found violations, and the penalty was $171,300, which sounds high, but we issued citations for far fewer instances than we have in the past. They have made some very, very good strides in the past four to five years.”

Dan Dowling, president of Local S6 of the Machinists union, the largest labor union at Bath Iron Works, said today that the company is headed in the right direction, and noted that employees are working with management to identify ways to make the workplace safer.

“Obviously zero violations is always the goal, and we’re not there yet, but their record has improved over the previous round of inspections,” he said. “We’re hopeful that the trend will continue and that in the next round of inspections, things will be even better than they are today.”

BIW has 15 business days to comply, meet with Coffin or contest the findings to the OSHA Review Commission. Coffin said today that BIW notified him that shipyard officials will meet with him for an informal conference.

“If we don’t settle it there, they have the right to contest it to a federal judge,” he said.

¦ THE INSPECTION triggered citations for three alleged repeat violations with $93,500 in fines, and $77,800 for 15 violations classified as serious, meaning “there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.”

bbrogan@timesrecord.com