OSHA cited Legend Tube and Metal Sales Inc. in Cleveland for 21 safety (including three willful) and health violations for operating unsafe cranes that struck and injured two workers at the steel service center. The company faces proposed fines of $157,200.

“Legend Tube and Metal Sales has a responsibility to ensure that its workers are protected from hazards associated with crane operations and to comply with relevant OSHA standards,” said Howard Eberts, OSHA’s area director in Cleveland. “Employers must be aware of the hazards that exist at their facilities and take appropriate measures to protect workers’ health and safety.”

An investigation was initiated after OSHA received complaints that two workers had been struck by overhead cranes at the facility, one on May 9 and another on May 10. The three willful safety violations, with proposed penalties of $126,000, were cited for operating a 20-ton, cab-operated crane and a 5-ton, floor-operated crane with the hoist blocks and hooks stuck in position approximately 6 feet off the ground, causing a “struck-by” hazard for workers; failing to establish a preventive maintenance program for the company’s eight cranes; and failing to have a gong or other effective warning signal on a 20-ton, cab-operated crane.

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.Eleven serious safety violations, with proposed fines of $29,400, were cited for failing to provide machine guarding on the horizontal band saw and radial arm saw, failing to develop an energy control program, using defective and worn slings throughout the facility, permitting various electrical violations to exist and using electrical equipment in need of repair. A serious violation occurs 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.

Seven other-than-serious health violations, with proposed fines of $1,800, were cited for failing to record workplace injuries and illnesses on the OSHA 300 log, including the incidents that occurred on May 9 and 10; failing to maintain fire extinguishers; exposing electrical equipment to water from a leaking roof; and failing to provide sufficient space around electrical equipment. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious injury.

The citations can be viewed here.

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OSHA Cites Dallas Facility for Exposing Workers to Noise & Energized Machine Hazards

Anaheim, CA based Bridgford Foods Corp. was cited for 27 safety and health violations at its food manufacturing facility in Dallas, with proposed penalties totaling $422,600. The violations include, among others, failing to establish and maintain a hearing conservation program for workers exposed to noise hazards beyond the permissible exposure limit, and failing to establish a lockout/tagout program for energy sources to protect workers from machines starting up unexpectedly.

“Bridgford Foods has a history of failing to implement necessary safety and health programs to prevent the unexpected start-up of machines and prevent hearing loss,” said OSHA Regional Administrator John Hermanson in Dallas. “Under the law, it is the employer’s responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace.”

OSHA’s investigation of the facility on South Good Latimer Expressway found 20 serious violations carrying $129,000 in penalties. They include failing to provide guardrails on mixers, ovens and ice machines; provide machine guarding to prevent workers from coming into contact with rotating parts; develop energy control procedures for machinery with more than one energy source; and ensure that employees were trained on the use of energy control procedures. A serious violation occurs 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.

Six repeat violations, with penalties of $292,500, include failing to provide training on the hazards of electrical equipment, ensure that workers operating powered industrial trucks are evaluated at least every three years, establish and maintain an audiometric testing program, and train employees on hearing protection who are exposed to noise levels at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. OSHA cited the company for similar violations in February 2008 with penalties of $8,000, in September 2008 with penalties of $33,900, and again in January 2010 with penalties of $106,000.

One other-than-serious violation, with a penalty of $1,100, was cited for failing to post a copy of the hearing conservation standard in the workplace. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm. OSHA has placed Bridgford 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 recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations. For more information on SVEP, click here.

View the citations here and here.

FREEPORT, Texas – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Texas Barge & Boat Inc. for one willful and 39 serious violations following the deaths of two workers from a fire at the company’s facility in Freeport, where boats and barges are repaired.

“It is critical that air monitoring is conducted when employees perform cutting operations in confined and enclosed spaces,” said Mark Briggs, director of OSHA’s Houston South Area Office. “This accident possibly could have been avoided if the company had followed OSHA’s standards.”

OSHA initiated a safety and health inspection on April 2 following a report from the local sheriff’s department that an explosion had occurred and two workers were missing at the company’s facility on East Floodgate Road. Nine employees were performing cutting and fire watch operations inside the hopper space, an area between the cargo hold and the bottom plate of the vessel, with limited means of entry and exit when the flash fire occurred.

The willful violation was cited for failing to conduct air monitoring tests prior to employees entering the confined and enclosed spaces to perform oxygen and fuel gas cutting operations. A willful violation is one committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to employee safety and health.

The serious violations involve failing to provide fall protection around the perimeter of the barge and around manholes, ensure compressed gas cylinders were secured, ensure proper electrical wiring was installed, ensure circuit breakers were labeled, provide respirator fit-testing, inspect oxygen and acetylene hoses, and develop a fire safety plan. A serious violation occurs 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 $221,200. The citations can be viewed at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/TexasBarge-Boat-312928195-0929-11.pdf  and http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/TexasBarge-Boat-312927445-0929-11.pdf.

OSHA proposes more than $121,000 in fines for blocked exits, unsafe storage, and electrical hazards.

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Rite Aid of New York Inc. for 10 alleged repeat and serious violations of safety standards following an inspection of the retail chain’s store at 6900 Fourth Ave. in Brooklyn. Rite Aid faces a total of $121,100 in proposed fines.

The inspection identified several hazardous conditions similar to those cited by OSHA during inspections of Rite Aid stores in the Bronx and Rome, N.Y., in 2007 and 2008. These conditions include an emergency exit blocked by garbage and debris, merchandise stacked in an unsafe manner, electrical panels blocked by cardboard and totes containing merchandise, an ungrounded electric power strip and employees exposed to an electrical hazard while stacking stock. As a result, OSHA cited the company for five repeat violations with $93,500 in proposed fines. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

Additional violations include a stairway to the basement storage room that was too steep, too narrow and lacked slip resistant treads; an 8-foot fall hazard for employees standing on the top of a ladder to store stock; boxes of merchandise used to prop open an emergency exit door; the absence of portable fire extinguishers in a basement storage room; and the lack of a working interlock to prevent a box crusher from operating while its door was open. These conditions resulted in citations for five serious violations with $27,600 in fines. A serious violation occurs 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.

“One might not think of a store as a hazardous workplace, but the fact is that these conditions expose workers to potentially deadly falls, crushing injuries, burns and electrocution, as well as the inability of workers and customers to exit swiftly in the event of a fire or other emergency,” said Kay Gee, OSHA’s Manhattan area director. “The sizable fines proposed here reflect both the severity of these hazards and the reality that this employer previously has been cited for similar conditions.”

“For the safety and health of all its employees, the company should seek to identify such hazards at all of its locations and correct them if they exist,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York. “One means of addressing and eliminating new and recurring hazards is through an illness and injury prevention program in which management and workers proactively identify and eliminate hazardous conditions on a continual basis.”

The citation can be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/riteaidfinalcitations.pdf

OSHA cites Allentown, Pa., soft drink company for exposing workers to safety and health hazards

A-Treat Bottling Co. is cited for 24 safety and health violations at its Allentown facility. OSHA initiated a Jan. 21 inspection under a local emphasis program focused on follow-up inspections and noise hazards. Proposed fines total $110,880.

“The hazards found at this facility risk the safety and health of workers and must be corrected immediately,” said Jean Kulp, director of OSHA’s Allentown Area Office.

Six repeat violations with penalties of $43,120 reflect the company’s failure to maintain required records, conduct a baseline audiogram for an employee overexposed to noise hazards, conduct annual hearing conservation training for employees overexposed to noise hazards, conduct adequate forklift operations and ensure equipment had proper machine guards in place to protect employees. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The company was cited for the same violations in 2008 and 2010 at the Allentown facility.

Seventeen serious violations with penalties of $67,760 involve the company’s failure to develop and utilize documented energy control procedures; provide training to employees utilizing energy control procedures; provide a proper eye wash for employees working with citric acid; provide machine guards on equipment; maintain copies of material safety data sheets for all chemicals; maintain clear and unobstructed exit routes; maintain exit doors and illuminated exit signs in proper working order; educate employees in fire extinguisher use; maintain forklifts in safe operating condition; provide a seatbelt for a forklift; protect employees from electrical hazards; and implement controls to reduce employee exposure to occupational noise.

One other-than-serious violation with no monetary penalty was cited for failing to ensure electrical equipment was guarded to prevent employee contact.

A-Treat Bottling Co. is a soft drink beverage manufacturer and bottler that employs about 50 workers at its Allentown site.

OSHA cites wind farm servicing company for 6 willful violations after worker suffers burns in wind tower resulting in proposed fines of $378,000

Outland Renewable Services has been issued six citations for willful safety violations after a wind farm technician suffered severe burns from an electrical arc flash on Oct. 20, 2010. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the citations following an investigation at the Iberdrola Streator Cayuga Ridge South Wind Farm near Odell. The company, a servicing and maintenance provider in the wind tower industry, faces proposed penalties of $378,000.

“Green jobs are an important part of our economy, and sectors such as wind energy are growing rapidly. That growth comes with a continued responsibility for employers to ensure that the health and safety of workers is never compromised,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “Outland’s management was aware of the potentially hazardous conditions to which its workers could have been exposed and showed intentional disregard for employee safety by ignoring OSHA’s requirements for isolating energy sources during servicing operations. Employers must not cut corners at the expense of their workers’ safety.”

Outland Renewable Services was issued the citations for exposing maintenance technicians to electrical hazards from the unexpected energization of transformers in three wind turbine towers. 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.

On the day of the incident, Outland Renewable Services failed to ensure technicians working in wind farm towers affixed their own energy isolation devices - also known as personal lock and tag devices - on the tower turbine switch gear at ground level. That created the possibility for other workers to energize transformers in the turbine towers, upon which technicians were working at a distance of approximately 350 feet above ground. The injured worker suffered third degree burns to his neck, chest and arms, and second degree burns to the face as a result of an arc flash that occurred when a transformer was unexpectedly energized by another worker.

The egregious violations in this case fall under the requirements of OSHA’s Severe Violators Enforcement Program. Initiated in the spring of 2010, the program is intended to focus on employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations in one or more of the following circumstances: a fatality or catastrophe; industry operations or processes that expose workers to severe occupational hazards; exposure to hazards related to the potential releases of highly hazardous chemicals; and all per-instance citation (egregious) enforcement actions. For more information about the Severe Violators Enforcement Program, visit http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=DIRECTIVES&p_id=4503.

Outland Renewable Services’ corporate offices are located in Canaby, Minn. This OSHA inspection was the first conducted at the Iberdrola Streator Caugya Ridge South Wind Farm.

OSHA cites China Grove, Texas bakery for 49 violations following a finger amputation for exposing workers to combustible dust, electrical, fall, other hazards

Federal OSHA has cited Lone Star Bakery Inc. for 32 serious, one repeat and 16 other-than-serious violations following an amputation incident and multiple inspections at two of the company’s facilities in China Grove. Violations include exposing workers to combustible dust, fall and electrical hazards, among others. Proposed penalties total $229,400.

“This company has jeopardized the health and safety of its workers,” said Jeff Funke, OSHA’s area director in San Antonio. “Employees were exposed to many hazards, including excessive accumulations of combustible flour dust that could have ignited and caused serious injuries.”

OSHA’s San Antonio Area Office initiated a safety and health inspection on Oct. 18, 2010, at the company’s facility at 8100 E. U.S. Highway 87, following a finger tip amputation incident on the pie processing line. A second safety inspection began on Dec. 15, 2010, at the company’s facility at 6905 E. U.S. Highway 87 as the result of a fire that occurred from excessive buildup of bread materials in the ovens. A second health inspection was initiated Jan. 24 at the company’s 8100 Highway 87 facility following a report that employees were being exposed to excessive levels of noise and not being protected by a hearing conservation program.

The serious violations include failing to ensure that employees were protected from falls; to clean combustible dust from workroom floors and other surfaces; to cover drain openings; to ensure that exits were free from obstructions and unlocked; and to ensure electrical deficiencies were corrected.

The repeat violation is failing to ensure that a metal junction box was permanently mounted in accordance with the listing and labeling required by the manufacturer. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. OSHA cited Lone Star Bakery for a similar violation following a 2006 inspection that resulted in total penalties of $78,300.

Other-than-serious violations include failing to record each work-related injury or illness case that met general recording criteria, and complete an incident report form for each work-related injury or illness case that met the general recording criteria for both locations from 2007 to 2010.

Lone Star Bakery, a private commercial bakery that employs about 500 workers at the two China Grove facilities.

Volvo Aero Connecticut has been cited by OSHA for 17 alleged serious violations of workplace safety standards at its Newington manufacturing plant. The airplane engine parts manufacturer faces a total of $83,400 in proposed fines for a cross section of hazards identified during a comprehensive OSHA inspection.

“Our inspection found employees exposed to a range of hazards that could result in potentially serious or fatal injuries if not promptly and effectively corrected,” said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA’s area director in Hartford. “Workers at this plant face the risks of falls, fires, explosions, electrocution, struck-by injuries, chemical exposure and being caught in unguarded operating machinery. For the safety and health of its workers, the company must address these issues so that they do not occur again.”

Specific violations cited by OSHA included workers being hoisted on the load hook of an overhead crane; an improperly designed combustible dust collection system; a lack of personal protective equipment; uncovered containers of flammable liquids; improper disposal of combustible rags; failure to conduct air monitoring to determine employees’ exposure to hexavalent chromium; unguarded milling machines, belts, pulleys and grinders; and failure to re-evaluate workers’ ability to safely operate fork trucks and provide operators with refresher training.

In addition, the company was cited for several electrical safety violations. These included electrical equipment unapproved for a Class II (combustible dust) location, flexible cords used in lieu of permanent wiring, defective electrical equipment, a lack of an electrical safety-related work practices program and failure to provide such training to maintenance employees.

US Labor Department’s OSHA fines Rochester, NY, pizza shell manufacturer more than $195,000 for failing to correct workplace hazards

Bona Via Inc., a Rochester, N.Y., manufacturer of pizza shells, has been cited by OSHA for failing to correct safety hazards identified during a prior inspection and for newly identified hazards at its 10 White St. plant. The company faces a total of $195,200 in proposed fines.

“The sizable fines proposed here reflect the fact that this employer was given ample opportunity to correct several hazardous conditions that can have a negative impact on the safety and well-being of its workers, yet failed to do so,” said Arthur Dube, OSHA’s area director in Buffalo.

Following an inspection in late 2009, OSHA cited and fined the company $12,000 for a variety of hazards. The company agreed to correct those hazards. However, an OSHA follow-up inspection opened in August 2010 found that several of the hazards remained uncorrected. These included failing to install and maintain electrical equipment that was safe for a hazardous location, not replacing pressure relief devices on the oil separator for an ammonia refrigeration compressor, failing to develop a written emergency action program, not ensuring the flour silo area was clean of flour dust to avoid creating a dust explosion hazard and not evaluating employees to ensure they were qualified to safely operate powered industrial trucks. The conditions resulted in the issuance of five failure-to-abate notices with $188,000 in proposed fines. A failure-to-abate notice is issued, and additional fines proposed, when an employer fails to correct previously cited hazards.

During the latest inspection, OSHA also identified several new conditions that resulted in the issuance of three serious citations with $7,200 in fines. These included failing to implement proper procedures to lock out machines’ power sources prior to performing maintenance, an uncovered electrical junction box and a lack of fire extinguisher training. OSHA issues a serious citation when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

“One means of eliminating recurring hazards such as these is for employers to establish an injury and illness prevention program in which workers and management jointly work to identify and eliminate hazardous conditions on a continual basis,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.

US Department of Labor’s OSHA proposes $220,000 in fines to Syracuse, NY, manufacturer for willful, serious and uncorrected violations.

OSHA  has cited Oberdorfer LLC for 28 alleged violations of workplace health and safety standards, including failing to correct hazards cited during a previous OSHA inspection. The Syracuse manufacturer of aluminum castings faces a total of $220,000 in proposed fines following an OSHA inspection opened July 30, 2010, to verify correction of previously cited hazards.

OSHA previously cited the company for a variety of violations involving employee overexposure to airborne concentrations of silica, which has been classified as a human lung carcinogen. This newest inspection found the company failed to implement engineering controls to reduce workers’ exposure to silica. In addition, the inspection found that an employee who was overexposed to silica lacked a respirator.

“This company was given the time and opportunity to take effective corrective action, yet our latest inspections identified silica-related hazards that either went uncorrected or were allowed to recur. This is unacceptable,” said Christopher Adams, OSHA’s area director in Syracuse. “The sizable fines levied here reflect the severity and recurring nature of these conditions. They must be corrected - once and for all - to help ensure the health and safety of the workers at this plant.

As a result of its latest inspections, OSHA issued the company two failure-to-abate notices carrying $75,000 in fines for the uncorrected conditions and one willful citation with a $70,000 fine for the lack of respiratory protection. A failure-to-abate notice is issued, and additional fines proposed, when an employer fails to correct previously cited hazards. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

The company also was issued 21 serious citations with $72,000 in fines for fall, electrical and machine guarding hazards; a locked exit door; lack of a permit-required confined space program and training; failure to develop specific lockout/tagout procedures to prevent the unintended startup of machinery; lack of an eyewash station; and failing to provide training on silica. Finally, the company was issued four other-than-serious citations with $3,000 in fines for inadequate recording of workplace injuries and illnesses. OSHA issues a serious citation 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. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

“One means of addressing workplace hazards such as these is for employers to establish and maintain an illness and injury prevention program, in which workers and management work together continuously to identify and eliminate hazardous conditions,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.

Breathing crystalline silica dust can cause silicosis, which in severe cases can be disabling or even fatal. The respirable silica dust enters the lungs and causes the formation of scar tissue, thus reducing the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen. Detailed information on silica hazards and safeguards, including an interactive eTool, is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/silicacrystalline/index.html.