Ohio auto insulation manufacturer faces penalties following worker injury
A worker at a Toledo, Ohio, automotive parts supplier lost his hand and part of his arm in a shredding machine. OSHA’s investigation of Autoneum North America found that the company failed to equip the machine with safety guards and train workers on lockout/tagout procedures, and exposed workers to struck-by hazards from machine parts. The company was cited for three willful and two repeated violations and proposed fines of $569,463. For more information, read the news release.
Michigan landscaping company obtains Cease Operations Order for exposing workers to hazards
Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a Cease Operations Order to Sunset Tree Service & Landscaping LLC in Bay City for exposing workers to potentially serious injuries by continuing to operate without abating previously identified hazards. MIOSHA inspectors determined that the company failed to adequately provide safe access to feed rolls on a wood chipper, failed to guard a shaft on the wood chipper, defeated the safety features on an operator safety control bar, and failed to train workers in safe tree trimming operations and practices. From 2011 to 2017, the company has had an extensive history of safety and failure to abate violations. For more information, read the news release.
Kentucky cites manufacturer for exposing workers to safety hazards
Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health cited Metalsa Structural Products Inc. in Hopkinsville for exposing workers to safety hazards. Kentucky OSH inspectors concluded that the company failed to ensure proper that lockout/tagout procedures were followed while workers performed maintenance on a robotic machine, exposing them to amputation hazards. Inspectors also found that the company failed to conduct inspections on the control of hazardous energy and attach lockout/tagout devices on machinery. The company was previously cited for violations of these standards in 2013.
Judge rules that Massachusetts companies operated as single employer at worksite where three workers fell
An administrative law judge with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission upheld OSHA’s contention that A.C. Castle Construction Co. Inc. and Daryl Provencher, were operating as a single employer at a Wenham, Mass., worksite when three employees were injured in a 20-foot fall from a scaffold. The employees were working on a residential roof when the wooden plank on the scaffold snapped. Both companies contested the citations and penalties, with A.C. Castle claiming it was employed by Provencher and, therefore, not responsible for the safety of the workers. The judge upheld most of the citations and ordered A.C. Castle to pay penalties totaling $173,500. Read the news release for more information.
Ohio steel manufacturer cited, fined for lead exposure, machine safety hazards
OSHA inspectors conducted two separate investigations of Republic Steel, a Canton, Ohio, automotive steel manufacturer, after one worker suffered a serious injury and other workers were exposed to excessive levels of lead. Investigators determined that the maintenance worker suffered a fractured pelvis after being struck by a machine that did not have a lock-out device to prevent movement during maintenance. Other violations included failure to: implement controls to lessen exposure to steel dust; prohibit workers from eating in areas where lead exposure was possible; and replace damaged guard and stair rails. The company was cited for seven repeated and serious safety and health violations and proposed penalties totaling $279,578. Read the news release for more information.
California cites two employers after worker loses life in drainage shaft
Tyler Development Inc. and its sub-contractor, D&D Construction Specialties Inc., were cited and fined for multiple safety and health violations after a worker died inside a drainage shaft. The companies were building a single-family house in Bel Air, Calif. A D&D Construction employee, sent into a drainage shaft to remove mud and debris, lost consciousness from lack of oxygen after descending 10 feet. The worker then fell another 40 feet and drowned in a foot of water.
Cal/OSHA cited D&D Construction for 13 violations including failing to: ensure safe entry into a confined space; test the environment to determine if additional protective equipment was needed; and have an effective method for rescuing a worker in a confined space. Tyler Development was cited for five violations including failing to evaluate the worksite for possible permit-required confined spaces and failing to ensure the subcontractor met the requirements to comply with a permit-required program. D&D Construction and Tyler Development were proposed fines of $337,700 and $14,870, respectively. For more information, read the news release.
Company cited for exposing workers to silica and other hazards at S.C. marine terminal
OSHA cited Cape Romain Contractors Inc. after discovering multiplesafety and health violations during a scheduled inspection of a marine terminal construction site in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Inspectors found that workers faced overexposures to silica and noise due to a lack of respiratory protection and hearing conservation programs as well as engineering/administrative controls. Cape Romain was also cited for crane, electrical, and machine guarding hazards. Proposed penalties total $81,489.
Florida cable manufacturer cited for safety violations following worker fatality
A machine operator working for an electrical cable manufacturer was fatally crushed after being pulled into a cable wiring re-spool machine. OSHA inspectors cited Milton, Fla.-based Gulf Cable LLC for 12 violations including failure to install machine guarding to prevent contact with moving parts and failure to have a plan to prevent machines from starting while being serviced. The company also exposed workers to electrical shock hazards by failing to replace cut wiring. Gulf Cable was proposed fines totaling $226,431. Read thenews release for more information.
Virginia cites Georgia Pacific after hazards cost worker’s life
The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Program issued $84,000 in penalties to Georgia Pacific in Big Island for safety violations discovered after a fatal incident in November. VOSH inspectors determined that the company had removed a nip roll guard from a floor opening, and six days later, a worker servicing a paper machine fell through the unguarded hole into a pulp tank and drowned. VOSH inspectors issued citations to the company for two serious and one willful violations.
OSHA finds machine safety hazards, silica overexposure at Ohio steel plant
An OSHA investigation of Amsted Rail Company Inc. in Groveport, Ohio, found workers exposed to silica and machine hazards. A maintenance worker’s leg was crushed after being caught in a machine, and at least four other workers were exposed to excessive levels of silica. The agency cited the cast steel manufacturer for 24 safety and health violations, which include failure to: implement engineering controls to reduce silica exposure levels; install lockout devices to prevent machines from unexpectedly starting during maintenance; implement a respiratory protection program; and provide personal protective equipment. The company was proposed fines totaling $610,034 and has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. Read the news release for more information.
Missouri citations highlight importance of vigilance in protecting workers from trench cave-ins
A month after a 33-year-old worker died while working in an unprotected trench, OSHA inspectors found another employee of the same Missouri plumbing contractor working in a similarly unprotected trench at another job site. OSHA determined that, in both cases, Arrow Plumbing LLC of Blue Springs failed to provide basic safeguards to prevent trench collapse and did not train its employees to recognize and avoid cave-in and other hazards. OSHA issued 14 safety violations found during both inspections, and proposed penalties totaling $714,142. Trench collapses are among the most dangerous hazards in the construction industry. Twenty-three deaths from trench and excavation operations were reported in 2016 and, in the first five months of 2017, 15 fatalities have been reported nationwide. For more information, read the news release.
Oregon cites company after two workers are injured due to fall
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division cited Minnesota-based Abhe & Svoboda Inc. for nine safety violations after two workers were seriously injured during restoration of the Ross Island Bridge in Portland. Oregon OSHA inspectors determined that the company failed to; provide adequate fall protection, construct and install the scaffolding system according to minimum requirements, and guard holes up to two feet in diameter. In February, a worker fell through a ladder opening, landing on a co-worker 37 feet below, resulting in injuries to both of them. For more information, read the news release.
Michigan cites packaging company following series of amputation incidents
Michigan OSHA issued seven citations to AJM Packaging Corp. in Taylor for failing to protect workers from amputation hazards. Three willful citations were issued for not utilizing machine lockout procedures and a fourth willful citation was issued for not providing employees with training on lockout procedures. MIOSHA inspections revealed a pattern of violations that have resulted in more than 10 separate incidents of finger and fingertip amputations from unguarded machines since 2012. Read the news release for more information.
OSHA announces new enforcement policy on monorail hoists in construction
OSHA has announced a new enforcement policy that excludes monorail hoists from the requirements of Subpart CC – Cranes and Derricks in Construction, as long as employers meet other OSHA requirements. The policy change was made in response to stakeholder comments that monorail hoists are significantly different from other cranes and derricks in construction. Under the new policy, the agency will not cite employers for failing to meet the requirements of Subpart CC if they meet the requirements of the overhead hoists and general training standards. The general industry requirements for monorail hoists remain intact. Read the news release for more information.
For more information or assistance with your Environmental and Health & Safety regulatory compliance needs, contact Ralph Carito at Total Environmental & Safety, LLC (Total) at rcarito@TotalEnviron.com or 908-442-8599.