Tonawanda Coke Corp. faces $48,500 in fines for violations related to worker safety at its River Road plant, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Friday.

It’s the latest action taken by a regulatory agency against the facility, which produces foundry coke, a coal byproduct. Late last month, the Town of Tonawanda plant was ordered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to correct deficient operating procedures and explain two releases of coke oven gas in the past two years.

The 14 violations OSHA cited on the plant’s respiratory-protection program, use of personal protective equipment, industrial hygiene and coke oven operations, include:

Failing to perform all required medical evaluations for workers exposed to coke oven emissions;

Allowing food and beverages to be consumed in an area with visible accumulations of coke oven emissions;

Failing to adequately train workers on respirator selection, use, storage and maintenance;

Failing to ensure the use of protective clothing by employees;

Failing to label containers of coke-contaminated clothing.

“Ensuring the health and safety of workers . . . makes it essential that effective and proper safeguards be in place and in use at all times in this type of work environment,” said Arthur Dube, OSHA’s area director in Buffalo.

Tonawanda Coke has 15 business days to comply, meet with the OSHA area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Earlier this year, the EPA and state Department of Environmental Conservation issued several enforcement actions against Tonawanda Coke for environmental violations.

Two years ago, the DEC completed a yearlong air quality study in the Town of Tonawanda that used four monitoring sites. The study determined that readings of benzene — a known carcinogen — exceeded the state standards used for regulating industry as well as the statewide average.

According to a DEC environmental engineer, Tonawanda Coke’s annual emission of five to six tons of benzene equals the emissions of motor vehicles traveling the busy corridor near the south Grand Island bridges.

Tonawanda Coke, which makes the fuel needed for making engine blocks for the automotive industry, is among four foundry coke plants remaining in the United States.

Two of them, Tonawanda Coke and Erie Coke in Erie, Pa., are owned by J. D. Crane. The other two are in Alabama.