OSHA cites Gilster-Mary Lee Corp after combustible dust explosion seriously burns 2 maintenance workers
STEELEVILLE, Ill. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. for six safety violations – including three willful – after two maintenance employees conducting welding operations sustained serious burns to their upper bodies as the result of an explosion within a dust collector at the company's Steeleville pasta manufacturing plant on Oct. 6, 2011.
"Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. has a responsibility to protect workers conducting welding operations from known hazards in its manufacturing plants, including explosive dust," said Karl Armstrong, director of OSHA's Fairview Heights Area Office. "OSHA is committed to protecting workers on the job, especially when employers fail to do so." At the time of the incident, the two maintenance workers were repairing a hole in the side of a metal trough containing a screw conveyor that was leaking granulated sugar within several feet of an operational dust collector. The dust collector exploded due to a spark from the welding operations.
OSHA cites Georgia coffee and tea manufacturer for combustible dust - proposes more than $46,000 in fines
NORCROSS, Ga.– The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Excelso Coffee and Tea Co. for 19 violations related to combustible dust and other hazards at the company's Norcross manufacturing facility, where it conducts coffee and tea blending operations. OSHA began an inspection in April as part of its Site-Specific Targeting program, which directs enforcement resources to those workplaces where the highest rate of injuries and illnesses have occurred. Proposed penalties total $46,550.
Fourteen serious violations involve the company's failure to install isolation devices on the dust collector system to prevent fires and explosions; keep steel beams and floors free of coffee and tea dust accumulation; and develop and implement an emergency action plan and training in the use of fire extinguishers. Additionally, the facility lacked guardrails and standard railings on fixed stairs; the company did not evaluate permit-required confined spaces; an energy control program for employees maintaining and servicing equipment was not in place; training for forklift operators was not provided; the facility lacked an eyewash station; employees were not provided with hand protection against heat and cuts; compressed air was improperly used to clean equipment; machinery on the packaging line lacked machine guards; a bench grinder was improperly adjusted; the electrical panel box had exposed wiring; and flexible cords were improperly used as permanent wiring.
OSHA Cites Austin, TX based recycling company - proposes penalties total $60,000
AUSTIN, Texas – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Electronic Recycling and Trading Co. with 14 serious violations after two workers were injured from a combustible dust explosion at the company's work site in Austin. Proposed penalties total $60,060.
"Employers must ensure their workplaces are evaluated for hazards and take corrective action before a dangerous incident such as this occurs," said Casey Perkins, OSHA's area director in Austin. "Combustible dust hazards can be controlled by implementing multiple safeguards, such as installing proper exhaust ventilation systems." An inspection began on Jan. 10 after an explosion at the company's facility on Bratton Road. Workers were sorting materials on the output conveyor when combustible dust generated by a nearby ring mill pulverizing machine caused an explosion that sent two workers to the hospital with severe burns.
OSHA cites Connecticut contractor and Georgia framing company for exposing workers to fall hazards
OSHA has cited American Building LLC, a Trumbull-based steel erection contractor, for alleged violations - one willful and one serious - of workplace safety standards following the Oct. 25, 2011, death of a worker at a site in Stamford, Conn. American Building employees were installing metal roofing onto a prefabricated steel building at the former Clairol campus at 1 Blachley Road when one of the workers fell 35 feet to the ground and sustained fatal injuries. An investigation by OSHA's Bridgeport Area Office found that employees lacked proper fall protection and were not adequately trained to recognize and avoid fall hazards. The safety harnesses of three of the four employees working on the roof, including the victim, were not tied off to anchorage points to prevent falls, and the fourth employee's safety lanyard was too long to protect him against a fall.
OSHA has also cited Norcross, Georgia-based construction company LRG Framing Inc. for six safety violations at a residential work site in Cumming. OSHA received a referral, and an inspector observed employees working at heights of up to 30 feet without fall protection, among other hazards. Proposed penalties total $66,660. LRG is being cited with one willful violation, with a $46,200 penalty, for allowing employees to work without fall protection. The same violation has been cited at the company's construction sites three times since 2006, including in connection with a construction site fatality in East Point in 2007.
OSHA fines Lakeview Specialty Hospital for inadequate workplace violence safeguards at Waterford, Wis., center
OSHA has cited Lakeview Neurorehab Center Midwest, which operates as Lakeview Specialty Hospital in Waterford, for exposing employees to workplace violence at the health care facility and treatment center, among other violations. OSHA has proposed penalties of $12,000.
OSHA initiated an investigation following a complaint that a worker had been severely beaten and threatened by a client at the facility on Sept. 28, 2011, as well as filed a police report with the Racine County Sheriff's Department.
As a result of its investigation, which revealed that staff members at the facility had been assaulted numerous times, OSHA has cited the employer for a serious violation of the agency's "general duty clause" for failing to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause serious injury or death. A second serious violation has been cited due to the lack of a lockout/tagout program for equipment with multiple energy sources.
OSHA cites commercial construction employers in New Hampshire and Wisconsin for failing to protect workers from falls
OSHA has cited The MacMillin Co. Inc. for alleged willful and serious violations of safety standards following the death of a worker on Sept. 16 at a Keene Middle School construction site. Temporary employees working under the direction of the Keene-based contractor were erecting scaffolding when the plank upon which the victim was working snapped, resulting in a 27-foot fatal fall to the concrete floor below. An inspection by OSHA's Concord Area Office found that the scaffold had not been inspected for defects, the workers had not been adequately trained, and the employer did not determine the feasibility of or ensure the use of fall protection. The MacMillin Co. Inc. faces a total of $167,580 in proposed fines. For more details about the willful and serious violations, read the news release.
OSHA has also cited Neenah-based GTO Contractors LLC with six safety – willful, repeat and serious – violations for failing to protect workers from falls. OSHA began an inspection in September under a local emphasis program on fall protection after inspectors witnessed workers exposed to fall hazards at commercial roofing work sites in Janesville and Middleton. Proposed penalties total $121,660.
OSHA cites Bath Iron Works for safety violations, Maine shipbuilder faces more than $171,000 in fines for fall, other hazards
OSHA has cited Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics company, for exposing workers to fall, mechanical and electrical hazards at its Bath shipyard in Augusta, Maine. Bath Iron Works faces a total of $171,300 in proposed fines following a safety inspection by OSHA's Augusta Area Office.
The inspection was conducted under OSHA's Site-Specific Targeting (SST) program and a local emphasis program focusing on hazards in ship- and boat-building and repair. Hazards included workers exposed to falls from a lack of fall protection as well as unguarded roof edges and floor holes and openings; tripping and fall hazards from walkways obstructed by materials, equipment, hoses and service cords; an unqualified employee operating an overhead crane; defective and uninspected lifting slings; uninspected lift trucks; unguarded electrical equipment; exposed and damaged electrical sheathing; and the improper storage of flammable chemicals.
Bartlett Grain in Atchison, Kan., cited for willful and serious violations after 6 die, 2 injured in grain elevator explosion
Bartlett Grain Co. L.P. faces five willful and eight serious safety violations cited by OSHA following an October 2011 grain elevator explosion in Atchison that killed six workers and left two others hospitalized.
The willful violations include allowing grain dust – which is nine times as explosive as coal dust – to accumulate, using compressed air to remove dust without first shutting down ignition sources, jogging (repeatedly starting and stopping) inside bucket elevators to free legs choked by grain, using electrical equipment inappropriate for the working environment and failing to require employees to use fall protection when working from heights. The serious violations involve a lack of proper preventive maintenance, certification and lubrication of grain handling equipment; inadequate emergency action plan training for employees and contractors; a lack of employee and contractor training on job hazards; and a housekeeping program that was deficient because it did not prevent grain dust accumulations. The citations to Bartlett Grain, which is based in Kansas City, Mo., carry $406,000 in proposed fines.
Topeka-based Kansas Grain Inspection Services Inc., a contractor employed by Bartlett Grain, also is being cited for one willful violation involving a lack of fall protection for employees working on the top of rail cars; one serious violation, the lack of a hazard communication program; and one other-than-serious violation, not providing basic advisory information about respirators to employees. These violations carry total proposed penalties of $67,500.
OSHA proposes more than $1 million in fines to Houston, Texas, employer for willful and serious violations
OSHA cited Piping Technology and Products Inc. for 13 willful and 17 serious violations for exposing workers to the risk of amputations and other serious injuries from dangerous machinery, as well as other hazards, at the company's Houston facility. Proposed penalties total $1,013,000.
Earlier this year a worker filed a complaint with OSHA alleging a lack of brakes on overhead cranes and unguarded presses at Piping Technology. In addition to substantiating the complaint items, OSHA's inspection found that employees were permitted to cut metal I-beams and pipes without the proper machine guarding, which exposed them to possible severe injuries. Additionally, OSHA inspectors found that the company had failed to guard seven band saws and to lock out all of the sources of hazardous energy to six pieces of equipment before service and maintenance.
OSHA placed Piping Technology in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. Initiated in June 2010, the program focuses on employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations.
Administrative law judge orders Newport, Del.-based Daisy Construction to pay $59,000 for willful trenching violations
In a recent victory for excavation workers who regularly face dangerous trenching conditions, an administrative law judge with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission has found that Newport, Del.-based Daisy Construction willfully violated OSHA's trenching standards.
Judge Dennis L. Phillips ordered the company to pay $59,000 in penalties, resolving litigation that followed citations issued by OSHA based on a 2010 investigation. Two willful violations were issued for failing to provide workers working in a trench with an adequate protection system to prevent cave-ins and protect employees by removing them from the unprotected trench. One serious violation was issued for failing to instruct workers on how to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions. The company contested the citations, and the case was litigated before the commission.
Cal/OSHA Issues $256,445 in citations to warehouse operators
The California Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued $256,445 in citations to two companies in Chino, Cal., for violations discovered during warehouse inspections that found unsafe working conditions. Cal/OSHA issued citations to warehouse owner National Distribution Centers and its temporary staffing contractor, Tri State Staffing, for more than 60 violations at four warehouses. The violations include lack of fall protection for high-rise pickers, unstable storage stacking and unguarded machinery.
Cal/OSHA found a dual-employer relationship at three of the four warehouses inspected. In this situation, both employers are potentially liable for violations of safety and health regulations that are meant to prevent workers' injuries or illnesses.
The warehouse inspections were prompted by complaints received from Warehouse Workers United and a worker's heat illness injury in August 2011. The employer failed to recognize the symptoms as heat-related or address conditions that led to the worker's illness.
OSHA continues to cite beauty salons and manufacturers for formaldehyde exposure from some hair smoothing products
OSHA is continuing its efforts to protect workers from the dangers of formaldehyde exposure. In November, OSHA issued citations and fines to two salons for failing to implement precautions to protect workers from exposure to formaldehyde when using certain hair-smoothing products. Formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and nose; can cause allergic reactions of the skin, eyes and lungs; and is a cancer hazard. Salon owners who decide to use products that may contain or release formaldehyde must follow the requirements of OSHA's formaldehyde and hazard communication standards to keep workers safe.
OSHA cites Seminole, Okla., meat processing plant for exposing workers to falls, other workplace hazards
OSHA cited Sigma Processed Meats Inc. for 16 serious and three repeat violations following an inspection that found workers were exposed to fall and other hazards at the company's processing plant in Seminole. Proposed penalties total $204,800. OSHA began its investigation at the plant after receiving a complaint. Inspectors found serious violations that included failing to provide guardrails as fall protection for employees working on elevated walking/working surfaces, failing to provide personal protective equipment such as goggles or face shields, failing to train employees on the use of hazardous chemicals, and failing to address hazards created by deficiencies in the company's process safety management system for anhydrous ammonia. The company was also cited for repeat violations that included failing to develop and implement a lockout/tagout program for isolation of energy sources as well as failing to provide training for employees on the use of lockout/tagout devices.
OSHA fines Liberty, Texas, manufacturer Boomerang Tube more than $400,000 following severe injuries to three workers
OSHA fined Boomerang Tube LLC $468,000 and cited the company for six willful, nine serious and one other-than-serious violation at the company's facility in Liberty, Texas, where three employees were seriously injured within a five-month period.
OSHA began its investigation in response to a complaint from one of the injured employees that workers faced unsafe conditions while operating cranes and slitter, rolling and thread machines; performing service and maintenance work; and stacking and loading pipes in the yard and on trucks. In April, an employee was caught in an operating machine and injured and in May, a second employee was struck by a piece of steel and knocked into a 5-foot-10-inch concrete pit. In September, another employee was caught in machinery and injured. All three had to be flown to a local hospital due to the severity of their injuries.
The willful violations were cited for failing to repair a damaged under-hung crane, which lifts and lowers materials; failing to ensure the use of lockout/tagout procedures to control the energy sources of equipment; and failing to provide the required machine guarding on the pipe manufacturing line. 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.
Cable manufacturer fined nearly $180,000 for exposing workers to electrical, chemical, mechanical, fire and exit hazards
OSHA cited Loos & Co. Inc. for 29 alleged violations of workplace safety standards. The Pomfret cable manufacturer faces a total of $177,000 in proposed fines following safety and health inspections conducted by OSHA's Hartford Area Office. OSHA inspectors found untrained employees working on live electrical equipment without adequate personal protective equipment and not using hazardous energy control procedures during maintenance of machinery; ungrounded lamps and electrical receptacles; damaged and misused electrical equipment; unguarded moving machine parts; uninspected lifting slings; excessive buildup of combustible dust; spray painting with flammable paint within 20 feet of spark-producing equipment; excessive noise levels and the lack of controls to reduce noise levels; improper dispensing of flammable liquids; inadequate eyewash facilities for employees working with chemicals; unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals; failure to conduct initial monitoring for hexavalent chromium; and exit routes arranged so employees would have to travel toward high-hazard areas when exiting the plant in an emergency. The company was also cited for one for inadequate machine safeguarding. A similar hazard was cited by OSHA following a 2008 inspection of the plant.
OSHA fines firearms manufacturer $170,000 for exposing workers to toxic substances and other hazards
OSHA fined Remington Arms Co. Inc. cited Remington Arms Co. Inc. for 35 alleged serious violations of workplace safety and health standards at its Ilion, N.Y., manufacturing plant. The firearms manufacturer faces a total of $170,000 in proposed penalties for a variety of mechanical, electrical and chemical hazards identified during inspections by OSHA's Syracuse Area Office.
OSHA found violations involving a lack of personal protective equipment and worker exposure to toxic substances lead and cadmium. The inspection also identified numerous electrical hazards and instances of unguarded moving machine parts; improper storage and transfer of flammable liquids; a lack of procedures to lock out machines' power sources to prevent their unintended startup during maintenance; unguarded openings and defective ladders; inadequate fire extinguisher training and availability; unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals; and several exit deficiencies including a locked exit door, obstructed exit routes, unmarked exits, and non-functioning emergency and exit lighting.
OSHA cites Seminole, Okla., meat processing plant for exposing workers to falls, other workplace hazards
OSHA cited Sigma Processed Meats Inc. for 16 serious and three repeat violations following an inspection that found workers were exposed to fall and other hazards at the company's processing plant in Seminole. Proposed penalties total $204,800. OSHA began its investigation at the plant after receiving a complaint. Inspectors found serious violations that included failing to provide guardrails as fall protection for employees working on elevated walking/working surfaces, failing to provide personal protective equipment such as goggles or face shields, failing to train employees on the use of hazardous chemicals, and failing to address hazards created by deficiencies in the company's process safety management system for anhydrous ammonia. The company was also cited for repeat violations that included failing to develop and implement a lockout/tagout program for isolation of energy sources as well as failing to provide training for employees on the use of lockout/tagout devices.
Grain handling company fined nearly $260,000 after worker is engulfed in grain bin
OSHA cited Corpus Christi Grain Co. in Corpus Christi, Texas, for 26 violations and fined the company $258,900 after a worker was engulfed while emptying grain from a storage bin. The employee was rescued due to the exceptional efforts of the Corpus Christi Fire Department. Inspectors found that the company willfully exposed workers to potentially fatal safety hazards by failing to provide personal protective equipment, such as a body harness and life line, to employees working with stored grain; failing to perform lockout/tagout procedures for the energy sources of equipment, such as augers and conveyors, while workers are inside the grain bins; and failing to have a competent attendant present with rescue equipment when workers enter grain storage bins.
Supermarket chain fined nearly $600,000 after failing to ensure injured worker received proper medical attention
OSHA issued $589,200 in fines to DeMoulas Supermarket Inc., doing business as Market Basket, and cited the company for 30 alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of workplace safety standards at its stores in Rindge and Concord, N.H. The Tewksbury, Mass., grocery chain, which has stores in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, was fined chiefly for recurring fall and laceration hazards and also for improperly responding to a worker's serious injury.
The inspection of the Market Basket store began after an employee sustained broken bones and head trauma on April 17 when he fell 11 feet to a concrete floor from an inadequately guarded storage mezzanine. Instead of calling for emergency help, store management lifted the injured worker from the floor, put him in a wheelchair and pushed him to the store's receiving dock to wait for a relative to take him to the hospital. OSHA also found that employees were exposed to falls of over 11 feet while working on top of produce coolers, freezers and storage lofts that lacked adequate guardrails to prevent falls. Employees were also exposed to severe laceration hazards from knives due to the grocery chain's failure to provide hand protection to employees in the produce, deli and bakery departments.
Chemical exposure related to bathtub refinishing results in 13 worker deaths
Federal OSHA has identified at least 13 worker deaths since 2000 related to bathtub refinishing with stripping agents containing methylene chloride. In the majority of the identified cases, the workers were working alone, in poorly ventilated bathrooms, with inadequate respiratory protection and little or no training on the hazards of the chemicals they were using. Michigan recently investigated one of these cases through its Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation (FACE) program and issued a hazard alert* to inform employers and workers. The alert highlights the hazards of working with methylene chloride-based stripping agents, safe work practices when using them and alternative paint stripping chemicals and processes. OSHA's methylene chloride standard (29 CFR 1910.1052) requires employers to control occupational exposure to methylene chloride through the use of exposure monitoring, engineering and work practices, respiratory protection and medical surveillance. OSHA is collaborating with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to develop further guidance for employers and workers in the bathtub refinishing industry.
OSHA secures federal court order and injunction to protect workers from fall hazards at N.J. construction site: Contractor repeatedly placed workers in imminent danger
OSHA secured a consent order and injunction requiring Sousa Contractors Inc. to comply with OSHA regulations at a West Windsor, N.J., construction site by providing fall protection equipment to employees working from heights of 6 feet or greater as well as proper scaffolding for employees who are installing roof trusses. OSHA cited the framing contractor in June for exposing employees to fall hazards and proposed $107,900 in penalties. Subsequently, inspectors repeatedly observed workers placed in imminent danger--one that could reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm--while installing roof trusses approximately 35 feet above the ground without any fall protection.
OSHA fines three contractors at U.S. Marine Corps base nearly $190,000 for crane and trenching violations
OSHA cited Piedmont Mechanical Inc., Jim Boyd Construction Inc. and Chevron Energy Solutions Inc. for safety hazards after a worker received burns from an electrical shock during the installation of a new landfill gas processing and compression facility at the U.S. Marine Corps Logistic Base in Albany, Ga. OSHA cited the contractors for a total of 11 safety violations and fined them $189,700 following an inspection begun in March after the incident, in which the boom tip of a crane contacted an overhead power line with a carrying capacity of more than 12,000 volts. Electricity traveled down the crane through a line that was connected to the load being moved by the crane and shocked the employee on the ground, who was holding the line. OSHA cited all three companies for safety violations involving trenching and excavation at the site.
Grain cooperative fined nearly $230,000 for exposing workers to combustible dust, fall and other hazards
OSHA fined Cenex Harvest States Inc., doing business as Central Montana Co-Op., $229,000 for willfully disregarding OSHA requirements by failing to test for hazardous atmospheres in permit-required spaces at its Columbus, Mont., facility. The company was also cited for repeat violations involving unguarded pit and floor holes, and dangerous accumulations of potentially explosive dust. OSHA investigated the facility as part of its regional emphasis program targeting grain handling establishments. The company was cited in August 2010 and February 2011 for similar violations at two of its other facilities.
OSHA sent a notification letter in August 2010 and another in February 2011 to a total of more than 13,000 grain elevator operators, warning them of proper safety precautions outlined in the Grain Handling Facilities standard. These include prohibiting entry in grain storage facilities while grain is being emptied out or flowing in or out of the bin, prohibiting employees from "walking down the grain" and ensuring that employees enter the bin with the proper safety equipment.
Adhesive company fined $917,000 after explosion injures workers
OSHA fined Bostik Inc. $917,000 for violating safety standards that led to a March 13 explosion at the company's Middleton, Mass., plant in which four workers were injured. Bostik was cited for 50 violations of workplace safety and health standards, including nine willful violations for serious deficiencies in the company's process safety management (PSM) program--a detailed set of requirements and procedures employers must follow to proactively address hazards associated with processes and equipment that involve large amounts of hazardous chemicals.
OSHA issued Bostik nine citations for willfully committing violations with disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health. These violations included failing to address previous incidents with a potential for catastrophic results, as well as human factors such as operator error, communication between shift changes and employee fatigue from excessive overtime. The agency also issued 41 citations for serious violations that the company knew or should have known had a substantial probability of resulting in serious physical harm or death to its workers. These violations included an incomplete and deficient emergency response plan, inadequate training for employees required to fight fires, obstructed exit access, electrical and respirator hazards, and additional PSM deficiencies.
Texas truck washing company fined $160,000 after worker is killed in confined space
OSHA fined Enterprise Products Transportation Co. $160,000 and cited the company for 32 safety and health violations following a worker fatality at the facility's Freeport, Texas, tank wash operation. OSHA initiated an inspection after receiving a report that a worker had been found, unresponsive, inside a tank trailer that was being prepared to be washed. The employee was removed from the tank trailer by a coworker, but later died. Inspectors cited the company for serious violations for failing to provide the required respiratory protection in a confined space and for not ensuring that chemicals were safely stored.
OSHA inspection following worker complaint leads to $170,000 in fines for New Jersey printer that exposed workers to machine guarding and other hazards
OSHA fined AFL Quality Inc., doing business as AFL Web Printing, $170,000 and cited the company for 26 safety and health violations following an inspection in response to an employee complaint about hazards at its Voorhees, N.J., facility. AFL was cited for willfully violating OSHA's machine guarding standard. The company was also cited for repeat violations for failing to use listed or labeled equipment, and failing to conduct a periodic inspection of lockout/tagout procedures for energy sources to safeguard workers from the unexpected startup of machinery during servicing or maintenance. Additional serious violations included failing to properly store gas containers; failing to provide employees with chemical-resistant gloves, safety goggles and face shields; and failing to remove damaged or defective items.
Colorado food company and subcontractor fined $300,000 for chemical and other hazards
OSHA cited Meadow Gold Dairies of Englewood, Colo., with 43 violations and subcontractor Tolin Mechanical of Denver with four violations following an inspection conducted under OSHA's Site-Specific Targeting for high hazard work sites, as well as its National Emphasis Program on facilities with hazardous chemicals. Meadow Gold was fined $300,300 for violations that included willfully exposing employees to a potential hazardous release of anhydrous ammonia due to a failure to implement a required mechanical integrity program. The company was also cited with a repeat violation for hazards associated with inadequate procedures for de-energizing equipment (lockout/tagout) prior to performing maintenance activity. Tolin Mechanical was fined $26,000 and cited for failing to properly train employees on emergency procedures and failing to ensure employees had adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
California fines pharmaceutical company more than $370,000 after one worker is killed and two others seriously injured
California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) issued 11 citations totaling $371,250 to Baxter Healthcare Corporation, doing business as Baxter Bioscience, for deliberate and willful workplace safety violations that resulted in the death of one of their technicians and serious injury of two others. On January 21, a 33-year-old Baxter technician collapsed when he entered a seven-foot-deep, 6,000 liter tank containing nitrogen gas. Air in the tank had been displaced by the nitrogen gas resulting in an oxygen deficient atmosphere. OSHA regulations require employers to have special protective procedures in place prior to employees entering these types of confined spaces. In this case, the employer had not tested the atmosphere prior to entrance to insure there was sufficient oxygen, which led to the technician's death. Cal/OSHA's investigation further revealed that when the technician was discovered, a supervisor ordered two other employees to enter the tank and retrieve him, without testing the atmosphere of the tank or providing proper equipment and other safeguards necessary for a safe rescue. As a result, the two other employees were seriously injured.
Grain elevator company pleads guilty in teen worker's death
Tempel Grain Elevators LLP pled guilty August 5 to violating OSHA regulations resulting in the death of 17-year-old Cody Rigsby, who suffocated after being engulfed in a grain bin in Haswell, Colo. The company was also sentenced to five years probation. Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, the company must pay Rigsby's family $500,000 for his 2009 death and must pay fines to OSHA. The company must also implement safety provisions that include providing safety training and refresher training to its employees, and developing a procedure that includes harnesses and lanyards or similar safety equipment in anticipation of bin entry at any of its grain elevators. If Tempel Grain violates any of the terms or conditions of probation they would be potentially liable for up to another $500,000 fine.
"This is a terrible tragedy that should never have happened," said OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels. "We are pleased to reach this agreement. Money won't bring back this young man's life, but we can make every effort to ensure that these terrible tragedies don't happen again. We will use any means--from tough enforcement to aggressive outreach efforts--to put this industry on notice that we will not tolerate risking workers lives in hazardous situations that are entirely preventable."
Contractor fined more than $350,000 after repeatedly exposing workers to trenching cave-in hazards
OSHA fined contractor P. Gioioso & Sons Inc. $354,000 after exposing its workers to cave-in hazards at Massachusetts work sites in Cambridge and Framingham. The company, which is primarily engaged in the construction of underground water and sewer mains, has a long history of violating workplace safety standards. Since 2000, Gioioso was cited seven times for repeat violations of OSHA's trenching and excavation safety standards prior to these most recent citations. The Cambridge inspection was opened when an OSHA inspector observed a Gioioso employee working in an unprotected trench. During the inspection, a section of the trench wall collapsed while the employee was still in the trench. The second inspection began after a concerned passer-by informed OSHA of workers in an unguarded trench. In both cases, OSHA found that the trenches lacked cave-in protection and a ladder or other safe means for workers to exit the trenches.
Two employers fined more than $600,000 after four workers suffer amputations
OSHA fined Quality Stamping Products Co. $426,100 and cited the company for 27 safety and health violations, including one willful violation for failing to report two amputation injuries that occurred at the company's metal stamping plant in Cleveland. Two employees had fingers severed and crushed while operating mechanical power presses in the plant prior to OSHA's January inspection. As a result, the company was cited for a total of nine willful safety violations, which also included failing to train press operators in safe work methods and failing to ensure the flywheels on the mechanical power presses were adequately guarded. The company was also cited with one willful health violation for its lack of proper chemical hazard communication and training.
OSHA fined T & D Metal Products LLC $214,830 and cited the company with four safety violations, after two workers suffered amputation injuries at the company’s Watseka, Ill., metal stamping facility. Inspectors found that the company willfully disregarded the law’s requirements by failing to lock out/tag out hazardous energy sources prior to performing maintenance operations and to have point-of-operation guarding on two press brakes that caused the worker amputations in two separate incidents. OSHA also cited the company with a serious safety violation for failing to use safety blocks when dies were being adjusted and repaired. Prior to this inspection, the company had been cited by OSHA for 47 violations since 1988.
OSHA issues hazard alert on use of scissor lifts to film events and other functions
OSHA issued a hazard alert about the hazards of using scissor lifts to film events and functions. Scissor lifts are portable, hydraulic-powered lifts that are commonly used by colleges and high schools to film athletic and band activities. Hazards associated with scissor lifts include using the equipment during high winds or bad weather; overloading the equipment with heavy objects; removing the guardrails during operation; and driving the lift on uneven or unstable ground. The alert recommends precautions to reduce the risk of these and other hazards.
In October 2010, a 20-year-old University of Notre Dame employee was killed during a football practice while filming the team from a scissor lift that was blown over by high winds. The worker, who reportedly was not trained to properly operate the equipment, raised the lift more than 39 feet into the air on a day in which winds exceeded 50 miles per hour. After investigating the incident, the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the university $77,500 and cited it with the most serious safety violation allowable under Indiana law.
Secretary of Labor Solis travels to Florida to bring message on protecting workers from heat-related illnesses
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis traveled to Florida July 13 to take OSHA's message of Water-Rest-Shade to workers. Taking a tour and meeting with workers at a Florida Power and Light (FPL) generation plant in Dania Beach, the Secretary spoke to local media about the importance of OSHA's Heat Illness Campaign. The FPL site was chosen because the company has worked hard with their unionized employees (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) to put together a program focused on the hazards of heat stress.
"We're obviously concerned about utility workers, berry pickers, landscapers and brick layers. But our message is just as important for the baggage handlers who transport luggage across the hot tarmac at Miami International Airport or car salesmen who pace the hot asphalt lots at dealerships that line Northwest 36th Street and 27th Avenue, as well as those working on road crews in heavy safety gear revamping North Miami Avenue and I-195," Solis explained. "Statistically, we know that Latino workers are at the greatest risk of heat illness. They are more likely to work in outdoor industries such as agriculture and construction and are at greater risk of ending up hospitalized or worse from heat stroke."
New report on carcinogens may affect employer Hazard Communication Programs
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released the National Toxicology Program's (NTP) 12th Report on Carcinogens (RoC), one of the two cancer lists referenced in OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). As a result, employers that manufacture, distribute, or use any of the eight chemicals with new or updated listings in the 12th RoC need to determine if the changes have any impact on their existing hazard communications programs. The 12th RoC added two substances--formaldehyde and aristolochic acids--to its list of known human carcinogens, and six substances--captafol, cobalt-tungsten carbide (in powder or hard metal form), certain inhalable glass wool fibers, o-nitrotoluene, riddelliine (a botanical, not be confused with the drug Ritalin) and styrene--to its list of chemicals and biological agents that are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens. For chemicals like styrene and formaldehyde, which are already listed as carcinogens by the NTP or other organizations, the impact of the listings in the 12th RoC is likely to be minimal because many of the HCS requirements have already been triggered by the previous listings.
Chemicals listed in the RoC are considered carcinogens under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard. Therefore, manufacturers and importers of a chemical or a product containing a chemical listed in the RoC must list the chemical on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) if it is present at a concentration of 0.1% or greater when the product has not been tested as a whole, and they must include warning information about cancer in the MSDS. Chemicals listed on the RoC that are present at less than 0.1% must also be listed if they could be released from the product in concentrations that could present a health risk to workers. The MSDS must also indicate that the NTP lists the chemical as a carcinogen.
Employers that use chemicals with new or updated cancer listings in the RoC or products that contain these chemicals should review incoming MSDSs for new information and must train workers about any new chemical or product hazards. Employers must also look at how the chemical or product is used in their workplaces and make sure that the precautions and protective equipment they require are sufficient to protect workers from anticipated exposures.
Excavation company fined more than $150,000 after one worker is killed and another injured in trench cave-in
OSHA fined Bontrager Excavating LTD in Uniontown, Ohio, $157,710 and cited the company for two alleged willful, two serious and one repeat safety violation for failing to protect workers from cave-ins during trenching operations. An inspection was initiated after one worker was killed and another injured in a trench collapse.
OSHA inspectors found that Bontrager showed plain indifference to worker safety and disregard for the law's requirements by willfully exposing its employees to trenching and excavation hazards in trenches that were not adequately protected to prevent cave-ins. During the installation of sewer lines in a residential neighborhood, a trench wall collapse resulted in the death of a foreman and injury to another worker. OSHA issued Bontrager a repeat violation for failing to provide a safe means of exit to employees working inside a trench. The company was cited for the same violation in 2007. In addition, inspectors found that the company had exposed workers to the risk of death or serious physical harm by failing to safely determine the location of underground utilities and to ensure a trench shield system was no more than 2 feet off the bottom of a trench floor.
Tire company and two contractors fined more than $250,000 for exposing workers to combustible dust and other hazards
OSHA cited Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. and two of its maintenance contractors $254,900 and cited them with 25 safety violations at Cooper's Tupelo, Miss., plant, including exposing workers to hazards associated with combustible dust. OSHA opened a December 2010 inspection in Tupelo following an inspection at the company's Findlay, Ohio, plant that uncovered multiple workplace hazards.
Cooper was fined for 14 violations that included willfully disregarding requirements to provide workers with protection from fires and explosions in the plant's ductwork, particle size separators, dust collectors and conveyor systems, and to install equipment and use wiring methods that were approved specifically for hazardous locations. Other violations included failing to replace or repair defective safety latches on a hoist, failing to use a standard guardrail to protect employees from dangerous equipment, and allowing combustible dust to accumulate in the handling systems.
Two maintenance contractors working with Cooper, JESCO Maintenance Corp. and IH Services, were cited with a total of 11 violations that included allowing explosive carbon black to accumulate; exposing workers to electrical hazards; and allowing the wiring and installations of equipment in hazardous locations not designed or approved for those locations.
NOAA extreme heat weather alerts contain worker safety information
OSHA is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on weather service alerts to incorporate worker safety precautions when heat alerts are issued across the United States. NOAA is also including important worker safety information on its Heat Watch Web page. Each year, thousands of outdoor workers experience heat illness, which often manifests as heat exhaustion. If not quickly addressed, heat exhaustion can become heat stroke, which killed more than 30 workers last year.
To bring greater awareness to this issue, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels participated in a June 21 conference call with meteorologists and other television and radio reporters who cover the weather to discuss how to alert outdoor workers and their employers about the dangers of extreme heat. Solis and Michaels informed the meteorologists and reporters about OSHA's National Heat Illness Campaign, offered recommendations for protection and encouraged news coverage to help spread to viewers and listeners everywhere the simple message: water, rest, shade.
Feed company fined more than $100,000 for exposing workers to suffocation, combustible dust and other hazards
OSHA fined Lakeland Feed and Supply $122,500 and issued the company 30 citations for exposing workers to hazards including suffocation in grain bins at its Hamilton, Mont., facility. The inspection was initiated under OSHA's Regional Emphasis Program that targets grain handling establishments in the state.
Serious violations included employees walking on grain in the bins; not locking out augers when employees enter the bins; platforms missing guarding; the lack of an emergency evacuation plan and no fire alarm system; high levels of potentially explosive dust; exposed live electrical lines; and improper electrical wiring for high dust areas.
Since 2009, OSHA has issued fines exceeding $100,000 per employer to grain operators across the country following preventable fatalities and injuries. In addition to enforcement actions, OSHA sent a notification letter in August 2010 and another in February 2011 to a total of more than 13,000 grain elevator operators warning them of proper safety precautions. See the news release for more information.
Roofing contractor fined nearly $250,000 for egregious fall hazards
OSHA fined roofing contractor Lessard Brothers Construction Inc. $243,360 for egregious willful, serious and repeat violations following OSHA's inspection of a Lewiston, Maine, worksite. OSHA previously cited Lessard Brothers, and its predecessor Lessard Roofing & Siding Inc., 10 times for fall protection violations at Maine worksites.
Lessard employees were exposed to potentially life-threatening falls of 23 feet while working without fall protection on a steep-pitched roof. Due to the company's knowledge of the hazard, along with its extensive history of OSHA violations, inspectors issued Lessard four egregious willful citations for the lack of fall protection. A willful violation is one committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health. In addition to the egregious willful citations, OSHA issued Lessard two serious citations for an electrical hazard and for failing to train workers on electrical hazards and fall protection. The company was also issued one repeat citation for lack of hard hat protection. This significant enforcement action qualifies Lessard Brothers Construction Inc. for OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. See the news release for more information.
Lumber company fined nearly $2 million for egregious safety violations including exposing workers to amputation and fall hazards
OSHA fined Phenix Lumber Co. and its principal, John M. Dudley, for egregious and other safety violations at the company's Phenix City, Ala., facility, including exposing employees to amputation and fall hazards. Prior to these citations, Phenix Lumber was cited 77 times by OSHA for serious safety and health violations since 2007.
“Phenix Lumber continues to put workers at risk by choosing not to implement safety measures that would prevent serious injuries to their employees,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.
OSHA began an inspection Dec. 15, 2010, in response to a complaint that employees working in the planer mill were exposed to amputation hazards while maintaining, cleaning and clearing jams on pieces of machinery that did not have their energy sources locked out to prevent their unexpected start up. Two months later, OSHA received a second complaint that an employee had suffered a partial finger amputation while clearing a piece of machinery that had not been locked out. At the opening of an inspection following the second complaint, the compliance officer learned of another employee who had just suffered a severe hand injury while working on unguarded machinery. Phenix Lumber had been cited numerous times during the past four years for allowing employees to work on unguarded machinery while it was operating.
OSHA issued Phenix Lumber citations for willful violations that included failing to properly shut down and lock out machinery before employees were required to perform tasks such as clearing jams and cleaning. These failures exposed employees to amputation hazards, as well as to the possibility of being caught between or struck by pieces of the machinery and falling lumber. The employer also failed to train employees who performed this work on the hazards and how to shut down and lock out the machinery so that they could perform their tasks safely. In addition, OSHA found that the employer willfully exposed a worker to fall hazards while working from the top of a machine, failed to issue locks to employees as required by the lockout standard, and failed to follow established lockout/tagout procedures.
OSHA announces three-month enforcement phase-in for residential construction fall protection
OSHA announced June 9 a three-month enforcement phase-in period to allow residential construction employers to come into compliance with the agency's new directive to provide residential construction workers with fall protection. During the phase-in period June 16-September 15, if an employer is in full compliance with the old directive (STD 03-00-001), OSHA will not issue citations, but will instead issue a hazard alert letter informing the employer of the feasible methods that can be used to comply with OSHA's fall protection standard or implement a written fall protection plan. If the employer's practices do not meet the requirements set in the old directive, OSHA will issue appropriate citations. If an employer fails to implement the fall protection measures outlined in a hazard alert letter, and OSHA finds violations involving the same hazards during a subsequent inspection of one of the employer's workplaces, the Area Office will issue appropriate citations.
Steel manufacturer fined more than $500,000 for repeatedly exposing workers to fall and machine hazards
OSHA cited steel manufacturer Republic Engineered Products Inc. in Lorain, Ohio, for seven willful and three repeat safety violations, with penalties of $563,000, for failing to protect workers from fall hazards and failing to implement adequate lockout/tagout procedures to prevent injury from hazardous equipment. The company also has been placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which focuses enforcement resources on employers that have demonstrated indifference to their OSH Act obligations by committing willful, repeated or failure-to-abate violations.
OSHA began the inspection of the Lorain facility after a worker who fell 9 feet from a coil transfer car was hospitalized with a broken pelvis. Willful violations were cited for exposing employees to falls from the car and an unguarded platform, and for failing to affix lockout/tagout devices to control the unexpected energizing of equipment. Repeat violations were cited for failure to train employees in lockout/tagout procedures; specify the procedural steps necessary to lock out electrical, hydraulic and gravitational energy sources for the coil transfer car; and isolate all hazardous energy sources.
Directive to protect residential construction workers from falls goes into effect June 16
Starting June 16, residential construction employers will have to provide workers with the conventional fall protection required by the construction fall protection standard, issued in 1994 (29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13)). Falls are the leading cause of death for workers in construction and this directive will provide residential construction workers with greater protection from being injured or killed on the job.
In December 2010, OSHA issued a new directive withdrawing an interim policy that allowed residential construction employers to use alternative procedures for worker fall protection. Under the new procedures, where residential construction employers find that traditional fall protection is not feasible or creates a greater hazard in residential environments, employers will still be allowed to implement alternative procedures that will assure worker protection after developing a written site-specific fall protection plan.
Company fined more than $1.2 million for exposing workers to asbestos hazards without protection
OSHA issued AMD Industries Inc. 27 health citations* and fined the company $1,247,400 after five unprotected and untrained workers allegedly were required to conduct asbestos removal, exposing them to this cancer-causing material. OSHA began its inspection of the company's Cicero, Ill., facility in response to a referral from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. OSHA investigators found that AMD Industries had commissioned a safety audit of its Cicero facility in 2002, which uncovered the presence of asbestos-containing materials on boilers, heating units and connected piping. In November 2010, the company began an asbestos removal project using in-house unprotected and untrained workers. Workers allegedly were exposed to materials containing 20-50 percent asbestos.
"Asbestos exposure can be deadly," said OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels. "AMD Industries knew it was assigning workers to asbestos removal work and failed to take the most basic safety precautions. This employer did not provide protective respirators or even warn the workers of the risk to their health from removing the material."
Ore crushing facility fined more than $200,000 for risking workers' health and hearing
OSHA cited Cimbar Performance Minerals with 20 health and safety violations and fined the company $214,550 for exposing workers to hazardous chemicals and excessive noise levels at the company's Cadet, Mo., ore crushing facility. Inspectors found that employers had failed to protect workers from exposure to lead and arsenic. Overexposure to lead can cause brain damage, paralysis, kidney disease and even death, and acute exposures to arsenic can cause lung distress and death. Inspectors also cited the company for willfully ignoring its responsibility to protect workers from the risk of hearing loss due to excessive noise levels from machinery.
Company fined almost $240,000 after worker loses his arm
OSHA cited Prologix Distribution Services-East LLC with 14 safety and health violations and fined the company $239,000 after a worker was seriously injured at the company's Doral, Fla., facility. OSHA began a safety investigation in August 2010 following a report that a worker trapped in a machine had to have his right arm amputated at the elbow. In September, the agency began a separate inspection focused on health-related concerns at the plant. Inspectors found that the company willfully disregarded the safety of workers by allowing them to operate unsafe machinery. The company also exposed workers to the risk of serious injury or death from explosion hazards from combustible dust accumulation and improperly stored propane tanks.
Oilfield services company fined nearly $340,000 for failing to record worker injuries and illnesses
OSHA issued $337,500 in fines to Superior Energy Services Inc. and five subsidiary companies, citing them with 38 violations of the OSHA recordkeeping standard. OSHA inspectors found that the parent corporation, a New Orleans-based provider of oil and gas field services and labor, allowed its subsidiaries to willfully disregard requirements to record employees' work-related injuries and illnesses in the OSHA 300 log. Together, the violations cited include 187 instances of improperly recording or failing to record information in the OSHA log.
Company fined more than $200,000 for exposing workers to lead hazards at outdoor gun range
OSHA fined E.N. Range Inc. $201,600 and cited the company for exposing workers removing lead pellets at a gun range in Oley, Pa., to dangerously high levels of lead. OSHA initiated an inspection in response to a complaint alleging worker exposure to lead as well as deficiencies in the company's respiratory protection program. Inspectors found that the company willfully jeopardized the health of its workers by failing to follow required procedures of OSHA's lead standard. These included failing to provide shower facilities for employees exposed to lead, failing to ensure workers exposed to lead washed their hands and face before eating or drinking, failing to provide exposed workers with a change room and failing to ensure that workers removed their protective clothing in the change room at the end of their shifts. OSHA's lead standard requires employers to protect their workers from lead exposure, which can cause many serious health issues including brain damage, paralysis and kidney disease, as well as death. In August 2010 OSHA fined E.N. Range more than $2 million for knowingly exposing workers to lead and other hazards.
Grain handling facility fined nearly $400,000 after worker is engulfed by corn
OSHA cited North Central Farmers Elevator in Ipswich, S.D., with six willful violations for exposing workers to the hazard of being engulfed by grain. Penalties total $378,000. OSHA began an investigation at the facility in October 2010 following an incident in which a worker was engulfed by corn in a grain bin. The violations relate to grain and confined spaces and demonstrate the failure to protect workers from engulfment hazards.
Since 2009, OSHA has issued fines exceeding $100,000 per employer to grain operators across the country following preventable engulfment fatalities and injuries in grain bins. In addition to enforcement actions, OSHA sent a notification letter in August 2010 and another in February 2011 to a total of more than 13,000 grain elevator operators warning them of proper safety precautions to prevent engulfments.
OSHA intervenes in time to protect workers from trench collapse
OSHA Compliance Officer Eliseo Hernandez and Assistant Area Director Joseph Roesler were on their way to an inspection near Auburn, Ala., when they noticed an open excavation where workers were not protected from cave-ins. The excavation was approximately 5 and 1/2 feet deep where two employees were working under an excavator bucket connecting a water line. Just after Hernandez removed the employees from the hazard, the wall of the excavation collapsed. This incident demonstrates the importance of OSHA's Trenching and Excavation National Emphasis Program.
Construction company fined more than $140,000 after subjecting workers to fall hazards
OSHA cited Champion Builders LLC for alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of workplace safety standards following OSHA's inspection of a hotel construction site in Madison, Conn. The Bristol, Conn., steel erection contractor faces a total of $143,000 in fines, chiefly for fall hazards at the worksite. OSHA found company employees exposed to falls of up to 53 feet while working without fall protection on the building's roof and to falls of between seven and 25 feet from unprotected or inadequately protected wall and window openings. Other fall hazards stemmed from an unguarded floor hole, missing or inadequate stair railings and the workers not being trained to recognize and address fall hazards. In addition, the operator of a powered industrial truck used to move steel around the jobsite was not trained in its safe operation, exposing employees to being struck or crushed by the vehicle.
Wind farm servicing company fined nearly $400,000 after worker is seriously burned
OSHA issued Outland Renewable Services six safety citations after a wind farm technician suffered severe burns from an electrical arc flash. The citations were issued following an investigation at a wind farm near Odell, Ill. The company, a servicing and maintenance provider in the wind tower industry, which uses wind to generate electricity, faces penalties of $378,000. Outland received the citations for willfully exposing maintenance technicians to electrical hazards from the unexpected energization of transformers in three wind turbine towers.
Kirkhill Manufacturing of Athens, Ga., fined more than $125,000 by US Department of Labor's OSHA for safety and health hazards
ATLANTA - Kirkhill Manufacturing Co. of Athens, Ga., has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for exposing workers to carbon black combustible dust and other safety and health hazards. Penalties total $125,650.
Following a February inspection, OSHA has cited Kirkhill with one willful safety violation carrying a proposed penalty of $56,000 for hazards associated with failing to establish a lockout/tagout program for energy control procedures. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employees' safety and health.
The company also has been cited with 17 serious safety violations with proposed penalties of $46,550. These include hazards related to a combustible dust transport system made of non-conductible PVC piping; poor housekeeping of carbon black combustible dust; allowing employees to use a spreader bar for lifting when it had not been tested or rated for capacity; unguarded walking and working surfaces, failing to mount portable fire extinguishers, a lack of forklift operator training, machine guarding hazards and various electrical deficiencies.
A separate health inspection revealed eight serious violations with $23,100 in proposed penalties. The violations include hazards associated with the assessment, use and appropriateness of personal protection equipment; lack of development and implementation of a respiratory protection program; overexposure to carbon black dust; failing to evaluate permit-required confined spaces; failing to make the material safety data sheets readily accessible, and failing to provide hazard communication training.
"Kirkhill Manufacturing exposed its workers to potential workplace hazards by not having a lockout/tagout program established and allowing carbon black dust to accumulate," said Kimberly Austin, acting area director for OSHA's Atlanta-East Office. "OSHA's safety and health standards must be followed to prevent injuries and fatalities."
US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Cannon Builders with nearly $128,000 in proposed penalties for endangering workers at Hansen, Idaho, worksite
SEATTLE - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Cannon Builders Inc. of Blackfoot, Idaho, for multiple workplace safety hazards at its Hansen, Idaho, worksite. The citations carry proposed penalties of $127,800.
"Cannon Builders knew that its employees were exposed to fall hazards, yet made a conscious decision to disregard OSHA's requirements for fall protection," said Dean Ikeda, OSHA's acting regional administrator in Seattle. "The company also failed to require the wearing of reflective vests in high automobile traffic areas, despite a heightened awareness of the need for such protective gear."
OSHA's investigation found two alleged willful violations, 11 alleged serious violations, two alleged repeat citations and three alleged other-than-serious violations.
The willful violations involve the employer's failure to provide and enforce the wearing of high visibility vests by employees working on heavily traveled roadways, and to provide adequate fall protection for employees. OSHA issues a willful citation when an employer exhibits plain indifference to, or intentional disregard for, employee safety and health.
The serious violations are related to failing to provide hazard recognition instruction, housekeeping of work and storage areas, proper handling and storage of compressed gas cylinders and welding equipment, stable access to elevated work areas, a properly designed horizontal lifeline system, proper anchorage for fall protection, safe egress from deep excavations, a means to keep materials and equipment from entering excavations, safe access to tops of pier caps, and lack of competent person inspections for excavations prior to employee entry or for excavations exceeding 5 feet. 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 repeat violations address failure to provide a trained person to perform regular and frequent worksite inspections, and to provide employees with fall protection training instructions.
The other-than-serious alleged violations involved failure to cap a gasoline can, repair an extension cord and replace a damaged ladder.
US Labor Department's OSHA proposes $247,000 in fines against Sally
Sherman Foods for uncorrected, recurring hazards at Mount Vernon, NY, plant
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed $247,050 in fines against U.F.S. Industries, doing business as Sally Sherman Foods, chiefly for failing to correct hazards previously cited at the salad manufacturer's Mount Vernon, N.Y., plant. OSHA first cited the plant in November 2009 for failing to provide adequate fall protection, machine guarding and hazardous energy control for workers at the plant. A follow up inspection, begun in May of this year to verify correction of the cited hazards, found several conditions unchanged.
"The bulk of these sizable fines stem from five instances in which the company agreed to correct specific hazards and did not follow through on that commitment," said Diana Cortez, OSHA's area director in Tarrytown. "This situation meant workers at the plant remained exposed to potential falls, lacerations, crushing and amputation injuries or being caught in the moving parts of machinery. That is not acceptable."
The uncorrected hazards included workers exposed to falls from heights of 5 to 6 feet due to missing or inadequate guardrails, inadequate guarding of moving parts of mixer machines and carrot shredders, failure to develop a lockout/tagout program to prevent the unintended startup of machinery during maintenance, and failure to provide workers with training and equipment to implement the program. OSHA issued the plant five failure to abate notices with $236,250 in proposed fines for these conditions. OSHA issues such notices and proposes additional fines when an employer fails to correct previously cited hazards.
OSHA's inspection also identified recurring machine guarding hazards similar to those cited in the earlier inspection, leading to three repeat citations with $9,600 in fines. Finally, one serious citation with a $1,200 fine was issued for a new condition, the improper storage of oxygen and acetylene cylinders. 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.
US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Matula & Matula Construction following worker death in Lake Jackson, TX
LAKE JACKSON, Texas - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Matula & Matula Construction Inc. of Lake Jackson for workplace safety and health violations following the death of an employee who was working inside a sanitary sewer manhole.
"This company exposed its workers to hazardous atmospheres while they were working in sanitary sewers," said Mark Briggs, OSHA's director for its Houston South Area Office in Texas. "It is critical that procedures for safe confined space entry are utilized each time a worker enters a confined space."
OSHA has issued citations alleging two willful, three serious and two repeat violations following an investigation that began Feb. 8, when a worker who was pumping grout into the sewer line on the Highway 332 Utility Relocation Project in Lake Jackson was overcome by hydrogen sulfide.
The willful violations are for failing to implement confined space entry procedures, including testing, ventilation and rescue, and to train employees on the hazards of working in a confined space. OSHA issues a willful citation when an employer exhibits plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
Serious violations include failing to train employees about the danger of working with hazardous chemicals in the workplace, and to inspect, properly maintain and repair damaged ladders. 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.
The repeat violations are for failing to make a reasonable estimate of employee exposure to hazardous chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide, and to properly erect a ladder for use in accessing the sanitary sewer manhole. OSHA issues repeat violations when an employer previously has been cited for the same or substantially similar violations in the past three years, and those citations have become a final order.
US Labor Department's OSHA proposes $357,000 in fines against US Postal Service for electrical hazards at Boston mail processing facility
BOSTON - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the U.S. Postal Service for alleged willful and serious violations of safety standards following an inspection at the Boston Processing and Distribution Center. The Postal Service faces a total of $357,000 in fines, chiefly for exposing workers to electrical hazards.
"These citations and sizable fines reflect both the gravity of the hazards identified during this inspection, and the Postal Service's knowledge of and systemic failure to address these hazards," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "The dangers of electric shock, burns and explosions were real, present and ongoing. The Postal Service must take comprehensive and aggressive action to correct these conditions once and for all."
OSHA's inspection, which began Jan. 28 in response to worker complaints, found that employees at the Boston center, including mechanics and technicians working with or near live electrical equipment or parts such as bar code readers and elevator control panels, were not provided with adequate training, safe electrical work practices, required personal protective equipment or insulated tools.
These conditions exposed the workers to the hazards of electric shock, arc flashes and arc blasts, and resulted in OSHA issuing the Postal Service five willful citations carrying $350,000 in proposed fines. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
OSHA also found that the Boston facility failed to have an authorized person conduct periodic inspections of its energy control procedures to prevent the unexpected startup of machinery during maintenance. This situation resulted in one serious citation, with a $7,000 fine. 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.
US Labor Department's OSHA cites AAR Summa Technology in Huntsville,
AL, with proposed penalties of $191,500 for 22 safety and health violations
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued 22 citations against AAR Summa Technology for exposing workers to safety and health hazards at its Huntsville plant. Proposed penalties total $191,500.
"Management needs to show a commitment to worker safety and health consistent with this company's ranking as one of the top defense contractors in the world," said Roberto Sanchez, OSHA's area director in Birmingham, Ala.
OSHA began its inspection in February after receiving a complaint about hazards at the facility, which produces military aircraft parts. Two willful safety violations were issued for failing to provide proper lockout/tagout procedures of energy sources for workers performing maintenance and service functions on machinery, and for failing to provide protective machine guards on equipment. 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.
Sixteen serious safety violations were issued for failing to repair or replace hooks used to lift and hold shop fabricated lifting devices, allowing materials to obstruct the exit pathways, failing to properly maintain machinery, exposing workers to electrical hazards, failing to train workers on hazards associated with aluminum dust, and using excessively pressurized compressed air to clean off parts.
Three serious health violations were issued for exposing workers to noise hazards, failing to perform audiometric tests on employees and failing to train workers on hazards related to noise. 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.
A repeat health violation was issued for failing to provide a site-specific written respiratory protection program. A repeat violation is issued when an employer previously was cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last three years.
US Labor Department's OSHA fines Wisconsin Polishing and Plating
more than $75,000 in penalties for 53 health violations
MILWAUKEE - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Wisconsin Polishing and Plating Inc. of West Allis, Wis., with $75,400 in proposed penalties for allowing workers to be overexposed to chromium and chromic acid, violating federal workplace health standards.
As a result of a February 2010 inspection, OSHA has issued Wisconsin Polishing and Plating one willful, 50 serious and two other-than-serious violations. The willful citation, with a proposed penalty of $7,000, is for allowing an employee to be exposed to chromium VI above the permissible exposure limits. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirement, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
Some of the 50 serious citations, with proposed penalties of $68,100, include failing to provide proper protective equipment for employees working with lead and other extremely dangerous dust and chemicals; failure to develop or implement a hazard communication program; failure to maintain material safety data information; and allowing employees to be exposed to open circuit breaker panels and improperly marked electrical panels. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.
The company also received a $300 proposed fine for two other-than-serious violations, which included lack of properly marked load rating signs and failure to inform employees of their right to access medical or exposure information and records.
"Overexposure to lead, chromium VI and chromic acid is extremely dangerous, and there is no excuse for a company to disregard the safety and welfare of its workers by not following OSHA safety standards," said OSHA Area Director George Yoksas in Milwaukee. "Those who ignore safe practices and OSHA regulations are inviting tragedy into the lives of their workers."
US Department of Labor's OSHA assesses $48,500 in penalties after finding 24 serious violations at Hi Plains Feed, of Garden City, Kan.
WICHITA, Kan. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Hi Plains Feed LLC, of Garden City, Kan., for 24 alleged serious violations of process safety management for hazards found with its anhydrous ammonia system. Proposed penalties total $48,500.
"Our inspection identified numerous hazards that must be addressed," said Charles Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. "OSHA's process safety management standard is stringent and comprehensive because a leak could have catastrophic consequences. It is imperative that employers take the necessary steps to eliminate hazards and provide a safe working environment for all of their employees."
OSHA initiated an investigation of Hi Plains Feed in February under its site-specific targeting program. Serious violations cited include a lack of employee participation in and training of system operators; failure to compile process safety information and to conduct process hazard analyses; lack of written operating procedures for the ammonia process; failure to evaluate contractor safety performance and to conduct a pre-startup review after a significant facility modification; as well as a failure to manage changes and mechanical integrity of process equipment, to perform anhydrous ammonia release incident investigations, to have an adequate facility emergency plan and to have compliance certification of the program.
Other serious violations include failure to maintain floors in a clean and dry condition; fall hazards due to an unguarded pit opening and lack of aerial lift training; failure to have at least two suitable gas masks available and accessible; an inadequate respirator program; lack of developed confined space procedures; and grinding wheel, compressed air and electrical shock hazards. OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which an employer knew or should have known.
US Department of Labor's OSHA cites AmeriCold Logistics with $189,000
in fines for serious safety violations at Burley, Idaho, facility
SEATTLE - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited AmeriCold Logistics LLC for serious workplace hazards that are endangering its employees at the company's Burley, Idaho, facility. The company's Nampa, Idaho, facility was cited for similar violations in April.
"Many of the alleged violations cited were for deficiencies in AmeriCold Logistics' process safety management, or PSM, program," said Dean Ikeda, OSHA's acting regional administrator in Seattle. "When properly implemented, PSM programs help ensure that operations involving hazardous chemicals are performed in a safe manner."
OSHA's Boise Area Office in Idaho conducted an inspection under its Chemical Industry National Emphasis Program at the AmeriCold Logistics Burley facility and found 11 alleged serious and five alleged repeat violations carrying a total of $189,000 in proposed penalties.
The serious violations related to PSM involve worker exposure to hazards due to inadequate system design information, a failure to correct equipment deficiencies, inadequate inspections of process equipment, inadequate process hazard analysis, and lack of mechanical integrity inspection documentation and written procedures for such inspections. Serious violations not related to PSM involve worker exposure to hazards due to lack of fall protection at a ladder access, lack of midrail on catwalks, unguarded evaporator fan blades and an inadequate number of exit routes. 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.
The repeat violations include unguarded open-sided floors or platforms, lack of an employee alarm system, lack of piping and instrument diagrams for equipment in safety information, lack of proper training for employees and lack of written procedures to maintain equipment. A repeat violation is issued when an employer previously was cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last three years.
US Department of Labor's OSHA cites M&G Equipment Group following worker's death in Alamo, Texas
ALAMO, Texas - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited M&G Equipment Group Ltd., doing business as M Construction in Alamo, Texas, with two alleged willful and six alleged serious violations following the death of an employee who was working in a trench installing a storm drainage system.
"A company's failure to protect its workers from cave-ins is simply unacceptable," said Michael Rivera, OSHA's area director in Corpus Christi, Texas. "If OSHA's standards regarding proper trench sloping, shoring and shielding were followed, it is possible this tragedy could have been avoided."
OSHA's Corpus Christi Area Office began its investigation on March 5 at South Tower Road in Alamo. Two willful violations were issued for failure to provide workers with adequate protection from a possible trench cave-in and failure of a competent person to take action where there was evidence of a possible trench cave-in. 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.
Serious citations were issued for failure to provide workers with safe egress when working in a trench, keep excavated soil a safe distance from a trench, use a properly designed trench shield, and ensure workers are trained on excavation hazards. 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.
Proposed penalties total $53,550. OSHA standards mandate that all excavations 5 feet or deeper be protected against collapse.
US Labor Department's OSHA proposes $49,000 in fines against Albany, NY,
contractor Peter Luizzi & Brothers for cave-in hazard at Cohoes, NY, worksite
ALBANY, N.Y. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Peter Luizzi & Brothers Contracting Inc. of Albany, N.Y., for an alleged willful violation of excavation safety standards at a worksite in Cohoes, N.Y.
OSHA inspectors passing by a worksite at Villet Street and Hamilton Place observed a worker installing a water main in an apparently unprotected 6-foot-6-inch deep trench. An inspection was opened on the spot and OSHA found that the trench lacked protection against a potential collapse of its walls.
As a result, OSHA has issued the company one willful citation, carrying a proposed fine of $49,000, for the unprotected trench. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
"You cannot overstate the gravity of this hazard," said Edward Jerome, OSHA's area director in Albany. "A cave-in can occur in seconds, crushing and burying workers beneath soil and debris before they can react or escape. Employers know that a trench must have effective cave-in protection in place every time workers enter it. Failing to provide protection could result in swift and serious injury or death for trench workers."
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.
