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MASON — The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Mason-based Cintas Corp. $2.78 million in penalties for the March death of a Tulsa, Okla., employee, according to the agency.

The fine is four times larger than any previous service sector penalty in OSHA's history.

Cintas is the largest uniform supplier in North America, with more than 400 facilities employing more than 34,000 people, including about 2,500 at 11 facilities within the Dayton region.

The $2.78 million in penalties pertains to OSHA's issuance of 42 "willful" violations against Cintas following the agency's investigation into the March 6 death of Eleazar Torres Gomez.

Gomez was working in the Tulsa laundry's automated washroom, when he was caught on a conveyor and dragged into an industrial dryer and trapped in temperatures up to 300 degrees for at least 20 minutes. He died on the scene of trauma and thermal injuries.

None of the Dayton region sites have outstanding penalties, but the company's Columbus facility at 1300 Boltonfield St. is facing $117,500 from seven citations, several of which are of the same conditions as was the case in Tulsa.

Cintas must pay the $117,500 by Sept. 18 in the Columbus case or face additional charges.

The company may appeal the citations, which could delay requirements to remedy the hazards, anywhere from months to years.

House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) said OSHA's citations "should be a wake-up call for Cintas that worker safety is not a secondary concern."

However in a release Friday, Cintas Chief Executive Officer Scott Farmer said the company has a safety record that is 20 percent to 30 percent better than comparably-sized laundry facilities.

"While we respectfully disagree with the inspectors' opinions, we look forward to our chance over the next several weeks to present our insight and evidence to the agency as we work toward a resolution."

Cintas stock (NasdaqGS:CTAS) dropped 24 cents Friday, closing at $35.37

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-9338 or kmcallister@DaytonDailyNews.com.