US Department of Labor's OSHA proposes $217,500 in penalties against fire log manufacturer following employee being injured
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing $217,500 in penalties against Hearthmark LLC, doing business as Jarden Home Brands, for safety violations at its Birmingham location.
The inspection began in July 2009, after an employee was burned when hot wax he was transferring from a railcar erupted. The investigation, including an evaluation for combustible dust, was expanded to all areas of the Birmingham facility when inspectors observed a number of safety hazards during their initial walk through.
OSHA has cited the company with two willful violations with a proposed penalty of $110,000 for failing to develop and use specific lockout/tagout (of accidental energy start-up) procedures for workers engaged in servicing and performing maintenance activities and housekeeping issues related to the accumulation of combustible dust.
The company is also being cited for 31 serious safety violations with $107,500 in proposed penalties. The violations include failing to establish and implement procedures for employees transferring wax from railcars to holding tanks, unguarded platforms, fixed stairs not having standard guard rails, lack of machine guarding, numerous electrical hazards (including unapproved electrical equipment being used in areas containing combustible dust), not filling required permits for confined spaces, belts, pulleys and shafts not being guarded, and failing to utilize restraint systems on powered industrial trucks.
"OSHA determined that this company is fully aware of the deficiencies it has in its safety program and what needs to be changed to provide safe work conditions for employees but hasn't acted to correct those deficiencies," said Roberto Sanchez, director of OSHA's Birmingham Area Office.
Hearthmark LLC is headquartered in Dareville, Ind., and has facilities in North Carolina, Texas, California and Ontario. The company manufactures fire logs under the Pine Mountain, Java-Log and Starter Logg brands.
US Labor Department's OSHA proposing more than $135,000 in penalties against Atlanta stone countertop manufacturer for health hazards
ATLANTA -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Atlanta Intown Granite Co. in Atlanta for continuing to expose its employees to health hazards more than a year after OSHA had cited the company for similar violations.
OSHA is proposing $133,875 in penalties against the company for exposing workers to excess amounts of silica by not fully implementing a respiratory protection program, failing to fully implement a hearing conservation program and failing to establish a written hazard communication program on exposure to hazardous substances.
Exposure to silica can lead to silicosis, a disabling, nonreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports that each year more than 250 people die from and hundreds more are disabled by silicosis.
"Silica and noise exposure remain serious hazards to employees at work, but both hazards are 100 percent preventable if employers fully implement protection programs," said Andre Richards, director of OSHA's Atlanta-West Area Office.
OSHA inspected this company in September 2008 and cited it with five serious violations for similar hazards. The current inspection followed up on the earlier one to determine if the hazards had been corrected.
The agency also is citing the stone countertop manufacturer with one serious safety violation and a proposed penalty of $2,000 for not equipping portable tools with machine guards.
Methuen, Mass., contractor faces nearly $167,000 in US Labor Department OSHA fines for cave-in hazards at Quincy and Lynnfield, Mass., worksites
BOSTON, Mass. - Trenching safety hazards at two Massachusetts worksites have led to $166,950 in proposed fines for a Methuen, Mass., contractor. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited L. Perrina Construction Co. Inc. for a total of 23 alleged willful, serious and other-than-serious violations of safety standards following inspections at worksites in Quincy and Lynnfield, where the company was installing water mains.
OSHA found that employees at both locations were exposed to cave-in hazards while working in trenches more than 6 feet deep that were not protected against the collapse of their sidewalls, exposed to struck-by hazards from material stored at a trench's edge in Quincy and an undermined sidewalk in Lynnfield, and were not trained to recognize and avoid such hazards at either location. The Quincy trench also lacked a safe means of exit.
Additional hazards included damaged, inadequate or misused access ladders, a lack of inspections and safety training, electrical hazards, improper storage of flammables and incomplete recording of injuries and illnesses in Quincy. They also included damaged lifting slings, electrical hazards, no backup alarm on an earth mover and a lack of jobsite safety inspections in Lynnfield.
"An unguarded excavation is a tomb in waiting. Its walls can collapse in moments, crushing and burying workers beneath tons of soil before they have a chance to react or escape," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex counties.
"This deadly hazard is exacerbated when workers are not provided an effective means of safely entering and exiting the trench. No worker should enter a trench unless and until all required safeguards are in place and in use," said Brenda Gordon, OSHA's area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts.
US Labor Department's OSHA proposes nearly $55,000 in fines against Legacy Builders in Quincy, Mass., after Boston scaffold collapse injures workers
BRAINTREE, Mass. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a Quincy, Mass., contractor for 15 alleged serious violations of safety standards following the collapse of a ladder jack scaffold at a Boston, Mass., worksite that injured four of its workers.
Legacy Builders LLC faces a total of $54,750 in fines after the Aug. 5, 2009 incident, which took place at 86 Crispus Attucks Place in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood.
OSHA's inspection found that the ladder jack scaffold was overloaded beyond its rated weight capacity and erected with a damaged wooden work platform. Both the employees working on the scaffold and those performing shingling work on the roof were exposed to falls from 14 to 17 feet due to missing or inadequate fall protection safeguards and a lack of training in the recognition of fall protection and scaffold hazards.
Additional fall hazards stemmed from damaged, misused or inadequate extension ladders; no proper access to the scaffold work platform; improperly tied off lifelines and workers carrying bundles of roofing shingles while climbing ladders. Workers also lacked required head and eye protection.
"This case is a clear example of what can and does happen when adequate and effective scaffolding and fall protection are lacking at a jobsite," said Brenda Gordon, OSHA's area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. "While it is fortunate that these workers were not killed, workplace safety cannot and must never be a matter of fortune. The lives and well-being of workers depend on complete, effective and continual adherence to standards meant to protect them against work-related hazards."
US Labor Department's OSHA cites O.S. Interior Systems following fatality at Houston worksite
HOUSTON -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited O.S. Interior Systems Inc. for alleged workplace safety violations following a fatality at the company's worksite at 20555 State Highway 249 in Houston. Proposed penalties total $112,000.
"This employer failed to advise its employees on the locations of electrical lines," said Dean McDaniel, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas. "If the company had followed OSHA's standards, it is possible this tragic accident could have been avoided."
OSHA's Houston North Area Office began its inspection on Aug. 14 when an employee who was removing a demountable wall made contact with a live wire and died. The company was cited for two alleged willful violations for failing to adequately protect employees from energized electrical circuits and failing to inform employees about the hazards involved with energized electrical circuits. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
OSHA proposes more than $266,000 in penalties against Tucker, Ga., manufacturer following worker amputations
ATLANTA, GA -- Crespac Inc. in Tucker, Ga., has been cited with 34 safety and health violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Proposed penalties total $266,400.
"OSHA began its comprehensive safety and health inspection after learning of two separate incidents resulting in amputations within a 30-day period," said Gei-Thae Breezley, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office. "In both instances, management knew of deficiencies but acted with plain indifference by failing to correct the problems in a timely manner that could have prevented these amputations."
The agency is citing the company with three willful, four repeat, 19 serious and one other-than-serious safety violations, as well as five serious and two other-than-serious health violations. OSHA is proposing penalties of $249,200 for the safety violations and an additional $17,200 for the health violations.
The willful citations result from the company's failure to ensure that all machines had proper safety guards, functional emergency stop cords and usable safety interlock switches installed on machinery. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to employee safety and health.
The company is being cited for repeat violations related to having slippery and wet floors, lack of safety guards on machines, machines being operated with broken parts and employees being exposed to electrical shocks.
Serious violations include fall hazards, slipping and tripping hazards, entrapment hazards, failure to provide proper fire training and equipment, failure to properly train forklift operators, electrical hazards, noise hazards, exposure to hazardous chemicals and an insufficient respirator program for employees. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists. OSHA issues repeat violations when it finds a substantially similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any of a company's other facilities in federal enforcement states.
Other-than-serious violations relate to the company's failure to conduct timely inspections of overhead cranes and related equipment and recordkeeping deficiencies in required OSHA incident logs.
OSHA fines Solid Waste Transfer & Recycling Inc. more than $212,000 for workplace safety and health hazards
NEWARK, N.J. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Solid Waste Transfer & Recycling Inc. for alleged safety and health violations. Proposed penalties total $212,400.
OSHA initiated an inspection on June 3 as part of its proactive program targeting companies in industries with high injury and illness rates. As a result, the company has been issued citations for four willful violations with a penalty of $198,000 and six serious violations with a penalty of $14,400.
The willful violations address the company's failure to have an adequate lockout procedure and a lack of machine guards. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to, or intentional disregard for, employee safety and health.
The serious violations include blocked exits, inadequate energy control procedures, lack of training, failure to properly mark compressed gas cylinders and effectively close electrical box openings. A serious citation is issued when there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard.
"Lockout procedures are designed to safeguard workers from the unexpected startup of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities," said Phil Peist, area director of OSHA's office in Parsippany, N.J. "It is imperative that the company correct the identified hazards to protect the safety and health of its workers."
"One means of helping ensure worker safety is for employers is to establish an effective safety and health management system through which they and their employees work together to proactively evaluate, identify and eliminate hazards before they result in injury or illness," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York.
OSHA proposes $61,200 in fines against Derry, N.H., contractor after employee fall at Medford, Mass., worksite
ANDOVER, MA - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Tri-State Sprinkler Corp. for alleged willful and serious violations of safety standards after a worker fell ten feet at a Medford, Mass., worksite. The Derry, N.H.-based contractor faces a total of $61,200 in proposed fines.
OSHA began its inspection on Sept.29, 2009, after learning of an August accident in which an employee fell and was seriously injured while installing a sprinkler system above the ceiling of a building located at 215 Harvard St. OSHA's inspection found that no form of fall protection, required when employees work six feet or higher, had been provided.
"The need for fall protection was clear and recognized, yet this employer did not provide this basic, commonsense and legally required safeguard," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex counties. "This hazard was exacerbated by a lack of fall protection training, through which the worker could have recognized and prevented this hazard, and the employer's failure to ensure prompt and timely medical attention for the injured worker."
OSHA issued Tri-State Sprinkler one willful citation, with a $42,000 proposed fine, for the lack of fall protection and six serious citations, with $19,200 in fines, for the lack of training and prompt medical attention, not providing a ladder that extended three feet beyond the elevated work surface, not ensuring that the work surface could sustain the employee's weight, exposed live electrical wires and an unguarded pipe threading machine.
OSHA levies more than $50,000 in fines against utility pole painting company working in Naperville, IL, area
NAPERVILLE, IL -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited utility equipment maintenance contractor Midsun Group Inc., Southington, Conn., with alleged serious and willful violations of federal workplace safety standards at worksites in Naperville, Ill., with proposed fines totaling $50,250.
OSHA began its inspection in July after receiving information that workers were exposed to potential electrocution while painting transmission poles in the Naperville area. The resulting inspection revealed nine alleged serious and two alleged willful violations of OSHA standards.
One of the willful violations addressed potential electrocution based on energized transmission lines that were not grounded. The second willful violation addressed employees working within the minimum approach distance in a bucket truck that was improperly rated for the work being conducted. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to employee safety and health.
The serious violations included improper or untested personal protective equipment, training deficiencies and the lack of fall protection. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.
"Over the years, we've worked hard to combat the problem of electrocution among utility line workers," said OSHA Area Director Kathy Webb in North Aurora, Ill. "We will continue to vigorously enforce OSHA's workplace safety requirements, as they have proven effective in saving lives."
New Haven, Conn., contractor faces $308,500 in US Labor Department OSHA fines for fall hazards at 2 Massachusetts worksites
BOSTON -- New Place Carpentry, a New Haven, Conn., contractor with a long history of fall protection violations, faces a total of $308,500 in new fines from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for willful and repeat fall hazards following the agency's inspections at worksites in Plymouth and Methuen, Mass.
The contractor, which primarily performs residential framing work, has been cited by OSHA eight times since July 2003. Fines from earlier investigations total $171,700 for failing to provide fall protection and other required safeguards for workers at jobsites in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
"The sizable fines proposed here reflect the gravity of these hazards and this employer's ongoing refusal to comply with basic, commonsense and legally required protections for its workers," said Marthe Kent, OSHA's New England regional administrator. "Falls remain the number one killer in construction work. Employers who repeatedly fail to provide and ensure fall protection continue to place their workers' lives at needless risk."
Both of the latest inspections found workers engaged in residential construction work at heights greater than six feet without any form of fall protection. In addition, workers at the Plymouth site were working on unguarded, inadequately constructed and uninspected scaffolds, and were not trained to recognize scaffold hazards, while workers at the Methuen site were installing roof trusses without fall protection, lacked fall protection training and accessed an upper work surface via a ladder that did not extend above the surface for required stability.
Additional hazards identified at the jobsites include gasoline-powered equipment left running while being refueled, power tools lowered to the ground by their cords, untrained fork truck operators, no fire extinguishers, debris with protruding nails in work areas, no hardhats where overhead hazards were present and no eye protection for workers using nail guns.
All told, based on the recent inspections, New Place Carpentry has been issued one willful, six repeat and 13 serious citations. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health, while serious citations are issued when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA fines Nazareth, Pa., company for continued workplace safety and health violations
NAZARETH, Pa. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited VersaCold for alleged workplace safety and health violations at its former Nazareth facility, proposing $51,000 in penalties.
OSHA initiated a complaint investigation on June 8. As a result, the company received citations for two repeat violations with a $50,000 penalty and one other-than-serious violation with an $850 penalty.
The repeat violations are for failing to properly train temporary workers on the use of industrial trucks. OSHA issues a repeat violation when it finds a substantially similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order issued to the same employer within the previous three years.
The other-than-serious violation is for the company's failure to record lost time injuries to temporary workers.
"Properly training workers is a crucial element in preventing workplace accidents," said Jean Kulp, area director of OSHA's Allentown, Pa., office. "It is vital that the company eliminate these violations to protect the safety and health of its workers."
VersaCold, which no longer operates the Nazareth facility, provides logistics management services and employs more than 330 workers at its various facilities.
OSHA proposes $42,000+ in fines against New Balance Athletic Shoe for electrical hazards at Lawrence, Mass., distribution center.Shoe manufacturer previously cited for similar hazards at Norway, Maine, location
ANDOVER, Mass. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. for alleged repeat and serious violations of workplace safety standards following an inspection at the shoe manufacturer's Lawrence, Mass., distribution center. The company faces a total of $42,225 in proposed fines.
OSHA's inspection found unqualified employees working on electrical panels that had not first been de-energized to prevent electric shock hazards. In addition, the workers had not been trained in safe electrical work practices, including the use of personal protective equipment, and were not wearing protective gloves. The inspection also identified ungrounded equipment, unmarked electrical disconnects, extension cords used in place of fixed wiring and wooden pallets that posed a fire hazard.
"Electricity moves at the speed of light and can kill or disable a worker literally in a flash, which is why proper training, procedures and personal protective equipment are all essential to safeguarding workers against this hazard," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex counties. "While it is fortunate that no electrocution occurred in this case, worker safety must not ever be left to chance."
As a result of its inspection, OSHA has issued the company three repeat citations, with $35,000 in fines, for the lack of training and personal protective equipment and for an ungrounded piece of equipment, and four serious citations, with $7,225 in fines, for the remaining items. The repeat citations stem from New Balance having been cited by OSHA in 2006 for similar hazards at its Norway, Maine, location. OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.
New Balance Athletic Shoe has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, participate in an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA's Andover Area Office; telephone 978-837-4460.
OSHA proposes $47,600 in fines against Menands, N.Y., employer for 21 safety and health hazards
ALBANY, N.Y. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Morgan Linen Service Inc. of Menands, N.Y., for 21 alleged safety and health violations at its 145 Broadway plant. The linen textile rental service faces $47,600 in proposed fines following a programmed OSHA inspection initiated in February.
"These citations encompass a cross-section of fall protection, flammable, confined space, lockout and bloodborne pathogen hazards as well as inadequate personal protective equipment and hazard communication training," said Edward Jerome, OSHA's area director in Albany. "These conditions must be addressed promptly and effectively so workers are not exposed to potentially fatal asphyxia and amputation hazards."
Some conditions identified by OSHA include platforms more than 4 feet high not properly guarded with standard railings, an unguarded floor opening, an improperly secured ladder, inadequate evaluation and posting of permit required confined spaces, lack of an effective and implemented permit required confined space entry program, lack of specific energy control procedures, non-functioning eye wash stations, inadequate personal protective equipment, and lack of training for bloodborne pathogens and chemical hazards.
These conditions resulted in the issuance of 20 serious citations with $46,900 in proposed fines. OSHA issues serious citations when death or physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known. OSHA also has issued the company one other-than-serious citation, with $700 in proposed fines, for inadequate injury and illness recordkeeping.
"One of the best means of preventing serious workplace hazards is to establish an effective safety and health management system through which management and employees work together to actively identify, analyze and eliminate work-related hazards," said Jerome.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Louisiana Health Care Consultants LLC, Dean Building Holdings and Bob Dean Enterprises Inc. jointly for three alleged willful and 10 alleged serious violations of federal health and safety regulations. Proposed penalties total $112,000.
"These companies failed to follow OSHA's standards for asbestos-related projects in the construction industry," said Dean McDaniel, the agency's regional administrator in Dallas. "Employers must be committed to keeping the workplace safe and healthful to prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities."
The willful violations were issued for failing to provide a competent person to supervise the removal of a ceiling that contained asbestos, to provide the required respiratory equipment and to inform workers that the worksite contained asbestos. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Serious violations included failing to monitor for asbestos materials, to utilize engineering controls to determine and minimize employee exposure to asbestos, to provide and ensure the use of personal protective equipment, to properly manage contaminated clothing and asbestos containing waste and to train employees engaged in the removal of asbestos. Serious violations are issued when there is a substantial probability that death or serious injury and/or illness could occur from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Louisiana Health Care Consultants specializes in the management and maintenance of nursing homes. Bob Dean Enterprises manages commercial and residential properties. The two companies each employ about 10 workers in Baton Rouge. The citations stemmed from work being performed at the State National Life Building in downtown Baton Rouge, which is owned by Dean Building Holdings and managed by Bob Dean Enterprises.
OSHA proposes more than $255,000 in fines against New Hampshire firearms manufacturer for 60 safety and health hazards
CONCORD, N.H. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $255,150 in fines against Sturm Ruger & Co. Inc. for 60 alleged violations of safety and health standards identified during the agency's inspections of the firearms manufacturer's Newport, N.H., plant conducted between November 2008 and May 2009.
"Our inspections identified a large number of mechanical, respirator protection, electrical, lead, fire, explosive and other hazards that must be effectively and continuously addressed to protect the workers at this plant from potentially deadly or disabling injuries and illnesses now and in the future," said Rosemarie Ohar, OSHA's area director in New Hampshire.
OSHA found that the company failed to guard rotating parts on drill presses, sanding and polishing machines despite its knowledge that employees were exposed to severe or fatal injuries if they came in contact with the rotating parts. As a result, OSHA has issued the company one willful citation with $63,000 in proposed fines. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
Additional safety hazards include the lack of spark detectors or suppression systems to minimize fire and explosion hazards in ventilation systems that collect combustible wood and metal dust; allowing combustible dust to accumulate; unguarded floors and platforms; lack of eyewashes and adequate personal protective equipment; inadequate procedures, equipment and training to lock out machines' power sources; improper storage of compressed gas cylinders; damaged, improperly used or ungrounded electrical equipment; additional unguarded machinery; and deficiencies with paint spray booths, confined space rescue, compressed air, forklifts and the transfer of flammable liquids.
The health inspection identified employees exposed to excess levels of lead dust; inadequate lead monitoring, training, hygiene, cleaning and disposal methods; inappropriate selection of respirators for lead; improper respirator fit-testing and use; no medical evaluations for employees using respirators; no refitting and retraining for employees who experienced a hearing threshold shift; and unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals.
These conditions resulted in the issuance of 55 serious citations with $188,550 in fines. OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.
The company also has been fined $3,600 and issued four other-than-serious citations for inadequate recordkeeping.
OSHA cites Huntsville, Ala., manufacturer for safety violations and $74,000 in penalties following fatality
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited ATI Engineered Products for safety violations following a worker's fatal exposure to hydrogen sulfite last December.
The agency is proposing a repeat violation with a $12,500 penalty after it found the process vessels not properly labeled. The company has been cited for a similar violation following a 2007 inspection at its sister plant in Gurley, Ala.
Huntsville, Ala., company is also being cited for 13 serious violations with proposed penalties of $61,500. Serious violations include failure to install hydrogen sulfite monitors and a lack of training for employees who handle hazardous chemicals which were related to the fatality. Additionally, deficiencies were found with regard to respiratory protection, confined space and lockout/tagout programs. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA is serious about safety, and we expect employers to take safety seriously as well," said Roberto Sanchez, OSHA's area director in Birmingham. "This employer has been fined by OSHA in the past for numerous violations of the OSHA standards but continues to place his employees in danger."
OSHA proposes $105,000 in penalties against Orlando manufacturer for workplace safety and health violations
TAMPA, Fla. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing $105,000 in penalties against Trussway Ltd.'s Orlando, Fla., plant. An OSHA inspection in December 2008 revealed three repeat, nine serious and seven other-than-serious violations of OSHA standards.
The three repeat violations with $70,000 in proposed fines address hazards associated with improperly guarded radial arm saws; radial arm saws extending past the table edge; and a radial arm saw not returning to its starting position when the handle was released. OSHA cited the company's Acworth, Ga., plant in 2007 for failing to adequately guard the radial saw blades, and it cited the Chandler, Ariz., plant in 2006 for the other two hazards.
The nine serious violations, carrying $35,000 in proposed penalties, address hazards associated with hearing conservation, lockout/tagout of accidental energy start-up, machine guarding, electricity and hazard communication.
The other-than-serious violations address OSHA recordkeeping, personal protective equipment, respiratory protection and lockout/tagout. The agency determined that neither death nor serious physical harm was likely to result from these hazards, so no monetary penalties have been proposed, but the company is required to make the required changes to bring it into compliance with OSHA standards.
"The penalties being proposed are larger because the company had been warned of these violations at two of its locations but chose not to make the needed corrections at all of its plants," said Les Grove, OSHA's area director in Tampa. "We expect companies to be proactive toward worker safety and not wait for an OSHA inspection before coming into compliance."
Domtar Maine Corp. faces $107,000 in OSHA fine Washington County, Maine, paper mill cited for 29 violations of safety standards
BANGOR, Maine - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited paper manufacturer Domtar Maine Corp. for 29 alleged serious violations of safety standards at its Baileyville, Maine, pulp mill and proposed a total of $107,000 in penalties.
"The conditions identified during this inspection must be addressed completely and effectively," said William Coffin, OSHA's area director for Maine. "Otherwise, anyone working in this mill in the future could be exposed to crushing hazards, falls, electrocution, being caught in moving machine parts, being overcome in a toxic or oxygen-deficient confined space, or being unable to safely exit the mill in an emergency."
The citations and fines encompass a cross-section of hazardous conditions found during an OSHA inspection opened on Nov. 30, 2008. These included numerous instances of unguarded moving machine parts; electrical hazards; fall hazards; an unmarked exit door and inadequately lit exit routes; confined space hazards; unsanitary eyewash facilities; work areas not maintained in clean and orderly condition; and no assessment of the workplace to determine what personal protective equipment workers would need.
In addition, employees were exposed to crushing, struck-by and other hazards from unenclosed counterweights on a conveyor and an improperly maintained conveyor emergency stop cable. OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA cites piping manufacturer for potential safety and health hazards at its Baytown, Texas, worksite
BAYTOWN, Texas -- The alleged failure to protect its employees from potential safety and health hazards has brought JSW Steel (USA) Inc. $146,500 in proposed penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following an inspection at the company's facility in Baytown.
"Failure to implement OSHA's standards and regulations to prevent potential serious hazards will not be tolerated," said Mark Briggs, OSHA's Houston South area director. "It is fortunate in this case that no one was injured."
OSHA's Houston South Area Office began its investigation Nov. 24, 2008, at the company's worksite on East McKinney Road in Baytown following a complaint alleging potential violations of federal safety regulations. The investigation found 29 serious violations, including failing to evaluate the worksite for confined spaces to prevent possible entrapment of employees; to ensure an authorized employee was adequately trained on the methods to control hazardous energy; and to ensure the required machine guarding. A serious violation is one in which there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Two repeat citations were issued for failing to conduct an annual inspection of the energy control procedures and to provide machine guarding to protect employees and operator from hazards created by metal slabs moving on roller conveyors. OSHA defines a repeat violation as one where the employer previously has been cited for the same or similar hazard within the past three years.
JSW Steel, which employs about 600 workers at its U.S. operations facility in Baytown, has 15 business days from receipt of citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's Houston South area director, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent t Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
OSHA cites construction company following fatality at Richardson, Texas, worksite
RICHARDSON, Texas -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Sills-Swindell Inc. for two alleged willful and one repeat violation following a fatality accident at the company's worksite in Richardson.
"This company failed to protect employees who were working on elevated platforms," said Stephen Boyd, OSHA's area director in Dallas. "In this case, a worker was unloading materials from a box that was being elevated on a lift truck that became unstable, causing the worker to fall 36 feet to his death."
OSHA's Dallas Area Office conducted its inspection on Nov. 26, 2008, at the company's worksite at 1821 North Greenville Ave. in Richardson. The investigation found two willful violations for failing to follow applicable manufacturer's recommendations for loading equipment on a lift truck and to provide fall protection to prevent employees from falling off scaffolds more than 10 feet above a lower level. A willful citation is issued for violations committed with disregard of or plain indifference to the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations.
The repeat violation was for failing to provide employees with the required training to operate industrial powered equipment. A repeat violation is defined as a violation that previously was cited where, upon re-inspection, a substantially similar violation is found.
For these violations, OSHA has proposed penalties totaling $60,000.
The Cedar Hill, Texas-based company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's Dallas area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
OSHA cites utility company for potential trenching hazards at Edmond, Okla., worksite
OSHA announces rulemaking on combustible dust hazards
WASHINGTON - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is initiating a comprehensive rulemaking on combustible dust.
OSHA will issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and convene related stakeholder meetings to evaluate possible regulatory methods, and request data and comments on issues related to combustible dust such as hazard recognition, assessment, communication, defining combustible dust and other concerns.
Since 1980, more than 130 workers have been killed and more than 780 injured in combustible dust explosions. These include 14 people who were killed in a dust explosion Feb. 7, 2008, at an Imperial Sugar Co. plant in Georgia and three workers who were burned in April 2009 in an Illinois pet food plant dust explosion.
"Over the years, combustible dust explosions have caused many deaths and devastating injuries that could have been prevented," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "OSHA is reinvigorating the regulatory process to ensure workers receive the protection they need while also ensuring that employers have the tools needed to make their workplaces safer."
Combustible dusts are solids finely ground into fine particles, fibers, chips, chunks or flakes that can cause a fire or explosion when suspended in air under certain conditions. Types of dusts include metal (aluminum and magnesium), wood, plastic or rubber, coal, flour, sugar and paper, among others.
In 2006, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) recommended that OSHA issue a combustible dust standard. OSHA received additional support for a combustible dust standard from the CSB during a congressional hearing in 2008 when the board said a new standard, combined with enforcement and education, could save workers' lives.
OSHA cites utility company for potential trenching hazards at Edmond, Okla., worksite
EDMOND, Okla. -- The alleged failure to protect its employees from potential trenching and excavation hazards has brought H & H Plumbing & Utilities Inc. $46,200 in proposed penalties from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following an inspection at the company's worksite in Edmond.
"Failure to implement OSHA's standards and regulations to prevent cave-ins will not be tolerated," said David Bates, OSHA's area director in Oklahoma City, Okla. "It is fortunate, in this case, that no one was injured."
OSHA's Oklahoma City Area Office began its investigation Feb. 20 at the company's worksite on South Bryant Avenue at Briarwood Drive in Edmond. Employees were working inside a trench without adequate protection from cave-ins. At the time of the inspection, two workers were repairing a water line in a 7-foot deep trench which was not properly sloped.
The willful citation was issued for failing to provide a protective system for trench excavation 7-feet deep with vertical walls. Protective systems can include sloping and benching of the soil or various shoring methods with steel or timbers to prevent soil collapse. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The serious citation was issued for failing to train employees on the hazards of possible trenching and cave-ins. A serious violation is one in which there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
H & H Plumbing, headquartered in Goldsby, Okla., employs about 85 workers, six of whom were at the worksite at the time of the inspection. The company has 15 business days from receipt of citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Oklahoma City or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.recommended that OSHA issue a combustible dust standard. OSHA received additional support for a combustible dust standard from the CSB during a congressional hearing in 2008 when the board said a new standard, combined with enforcement and education, could save workers' lives.
U.S. Labor Department's OSHA fines Hess Corp. more than $141,000 for workplace safety and health violations
PORT READING, N.J. -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Hess Corp. for workplace safety and health violations with proposed fines totaling $141,500.
OSHA initiated the investigation as part of its National Emphasis Program focused on petroleum refinery process safety management. As a result of the investigation, the company has been issued 31 serious violations and one other-than-serious violation.
"OSHA's process safety management regulations are designed to reduce or eliminate workplace hazards associated with the catastrophic release of highly hazardous chemicals," said Patricia Jones, director of OSHA's area office in Avenel, N.J. "If not corrected, these violations could compromise the safety and health of Hess employees."
The serious violations include the company's failure to properly document process safety information, conduct a proper process hazard analysis, evaluate contractor safety and health programs, properly train employees, conduct maintenance on critical instruments, update operating procedures, regularly conduct incident investigations, resolve incident investigation findings in a timely manner, properly install metal stairs, maintain ladders in a safe condition, support piping systems, and protect against physical damage and excessive stresses. OSHA issues a serious citation when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard.
The Port Reading oil refinery, which employs about 130 workers, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
OSHA operates a vigorous enforcement program, conducting almost 39,000 inspections and finding nearly 88,000 violations of its standards and regulations in fiscal year 2008. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their employees.
OSHA cites stamping company for alleged safety and health violations following worker injury in Grapevine, Texas
GRAPEVINE, Texas -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Wrico Stamping Co. of Texas in Grapevine for one alleged willful, four alleged serious and one alleged other-than-serious violation of safety and health standards. The agency has proposed penalties totaling $99,000.
"Employers must ensure that their workers are fully protected when working around hazardous equipment," said Zachary Barnett, OSHA's area director in Fort Worth, Texas. "If the company had followed OSHA's standards, it is possible this tragic accident could have been avoided."
OSHA's Fort Worth Area Office conducted its inspection at the company's facility on 650 Industrial Blvd. in Grapevine. The inspection was initiated after an employee's hand was crushed on Nov. 7 while operating a 75-ton mechanical power press. The investigation found willful violations for failing to perform regular inspections of mechanical power presses. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Serious violations included failing to provide safety blocks on mechanical presses, to provide adequate supervision while employees are working on hazardous equipment and to ensure adequate training is given for maintaining mechanical equipment. Serious citations are issued when death or serious injury could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
An other-than-serious citation was issued for failing to report an amputation injury within 30 days.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Fort Worth or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
U.S. Labor Department's OSHA proposes $79,000 in fines against North Reading, Mass., contractor for fall hazards at Woburn, Mass., worksite
METHUEN, Mass. - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a North Reading, Mass., roofing contractor for 16 alleged violations of safety and health standards. Duval Roofing LLC faces a total of $79,000 in proposed fines for fall, scaffold, ladder and other hazards identified at a residential construction site located at 138 Pleasant St. in Woburn, Mass.
OSHA's inspection found employees working on a two-story roof without fall protection and accessing the roof and scaffolding on ladders that did not extend at least three feet above the upper landing surface. As a result, OSHA issued the company two willful citations, carrying $56,000 in proposed fines, for those conditions. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
"It takes only one slip or misstep to turn a construction site into an accident scene," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex counties. "That's why it is imperative that employers supply effective fall protection where required so their workers are protected against potentially deadly or disabling falls."
OSHA also issued the company 14 serious citations, with $23,000 in fines, for a variety of scaffold hazards involving improper construction, lack of fall protection, lack of scaffold training, an overloaded scaffold and locating a scaffold too close to an energized power line; fall hazards from ladders not used at a proper angle, unsecured ladders, a defective ladder and areas not kept clear around tops and bottoms of ladders; and lack of head, eye and face protection for employees exposed to overhead hazards.
OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.
U.S. Labor Department's OSHA announces workplace safety violations against Dehler Manufacturing Co. Federal agency proposes nearly $230,000 in penalties against Chicago business
CHICAGO -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $229,500 in fines against Dehler Manufacturing Co. Inc. of Chicago for alleged willful, serious and repeat violations of federal workplace safety standards.
As a result of a safety and health inspection, OSHA has cited the company for a willful violation with a proposed penalty of $49,500. The citation addresses the company's alleged failure to protect workers from flying sparks while working in and around welding stations. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
The company also has been issued citations for 14 serious violations with proposed penalties of $47,600. Some of the citations allege that the company failed to provide proper guard protection for rotating parts, failed to provide personal protective equipment such as safety glasses or protective lenses for protection against light radiation and did not properly secure overhead portable spot welding equipment. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Dehler also has received 12 citations for repeat violations with a penalty of $132,400. Some of those alleged violations address aisles and passageways not being kept clear of obstructions; lockout and tagout procedures to prevent accidental energy start-up not being followed or training for those procedures not being provided for all employees; spot welding equipment not being inspected properly and electrical equipment not being maintained properly. OSHA issues a repeat violation when it finds a substantially similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other of an employer's facilities in federal enforcement states when an initial one previously was cited.
"Injuries and fatalities from accidents such as electrocution, amputation from improper guard protection and falls are preventable," said Diane Turek, OSHA's area director in Des Plaines, Ill. "Employers must remain dedicated to keeping the workplace safe and healthful or face intense scrutiny by OSHA."
Dehler Manufacturing, a fabricator of steel furniture for schools and private businesses, employs 180 workers, has been inspected five times by OSHA since 2000 and has received numerous citations from these past inspections.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
