Extrusion Plant Fined Over $200,000 For Safety Violations

Here is a story of a company that was fined by a governmental health and safety department for safety violations in an aluminium extrusion plant. Here is the story:


The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited an extrusion company in the U.S.A. with two willful and 13 serious violations for exposing workers to a variety of safety and health hazards at its aluminum products manufacturing facility. OSHA's local office initiated an inspection in November at the company's facility under the agency's National Emphasis Program for Amputations. Proposed penalties total $212,000.

"This company has a history of failing to implement effective safety measures, such as lockout/tagout procedures, to prevent employees from coming in contact with moving machine parts during servicing and setup," said OSHA's area director. "Employers have a responsibility to provide safe and healthful workplaces for their workers."

The willful violations involve failing to implement lockout/tagout procedures for machines' energy sources to protect workers performing maintenance and setup activities, and provide guarding on press brakes. 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.

The serious violations include failing to guard open-sided floors and platforms, provide personal protective equipment, properly label hazardous chemicals, ensure that isolation and de-energization procedures are followed, remove damaged synthetic web slings from service, provide guards around rotating and moving parts of machinery, establish die-setting procedures for mechanical power presses, guard chains and sprockets, provide hepatitis B vaccinations to workers and provide training on bloodborne pathogens. 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.

Due to the willful violations and the nature of the hazards, OSHA has placed the aluminium company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. The program focuses on recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations. For more information on SVEP, visit http://s.dol.gov/J3

The aluminium company, which employs about 500+workers, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

The APSB chose not to name the company that was cited by OSHA because the company has the opportunity to challenge the fines. If successful the fines may be reduced (likely) or even an eliminated (not likely). 

Has your plant ever been fined by a government safety organisation? 

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