Private health care contractor for NYC jails fined $71K, cited by OSHA over workplace safety

Federal labor officials have cited the private company contracted to provide health services to New York City inmates, proposing $71,000 in fines for workplace safety violations.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Thursday said Corizon Health Inc. willfully disregarded employee safety at Rikers Island.

OSHA started probing conditions in the jail complex in February. Since then, there were six violent incidents involving Corizon workers, including one in which an inmate locked an employee in a cell.

OSHA said assaults against health workers increased from eight in 2011 to 39 in 2013.

A spokeswoman for the Brentwood, Tennessee-based company said the company cooperated with investigators but didn't agree with OSHA's findings and planned to contest them.

City officials didn't immediately return requests for comment.