Government safety organizations are tasked with
the safe and healthful
working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards
and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. Onsite
inspections is an important tool that these organizations have. Here is a
recent story of an aluminium company being fined after an onsite inspection:
(Company) an aluminum recycling facility
was fined $10,000 by the state for serious safety violations.
The company, which recycles more than
150,000 tons of aluminum scrap per year at its 24/7 operation at was cited by
the (state name) Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an
inspection. Investigators found truck operators did not get training about
workplace hazards.
Last year, (aluminium company) workers were
exposed to potential injuries when operating payloaders by aluminum dross,
which is considered a hazardous material, and in a smoky work area when flux
for melting aluminum was not available, (state name) Occupational Safety and
Health Administration found in its report. A worker there also moved aluminum
dross on a payloader without a functioning horn, violating a workplace
regulation that requires that industrial trucks be taken out of service until
needed repairs are made.
We are thankful that these citations did not come in response to an
incident(s). The company had fifteen days to either pay the fine or ask for a
hearing. We do not know, but do the low amount of these fines, we would assume
the company paid the fine.
Ok so let’s talk about what occurred. Taken from the citation.
Serious Violation 1:
Powered industrial truck operators did not receive
training in other unique or potentially hazardous environmental conditions in
the workplace that could affect safe operation:
Furnace Department – Employees were exposed
to struck by injuries when powered industrial vehicles such as, but not limited
to, payloaders were operated in the area of thermiting aluminium dross. On or
about (date in Fall 2018) the work area was smokey when flux was not available.
APSB: comments, controlling pedestrian traffic where moveable
equipment operate is very important. On our plant tours we always ask to tour
the plant. We specifically ask not to be taken around the facility by a
manager. Why? Because the manager is busy and our tours always feel rushed. We
would rather be taken around by a junior engineer or safety personnel whose
superiors give them 6-8 hours to allow us to tour a plant. During these tours
we will commonly ask to sit and observe pedestrian traffic. It always amazes us
where workers will walk and how close they will get near moveable equipment if
allowed. It is a plant’s goal to set up either physical barriers or engineering
controls to minimize the pedestrian interaction with moveable equipment.
The “smokey”ness of the facility because of a lack of flux was
direct result to department management not being prepared. In all likelihood
the flux was probably available but the shift foreman did not instruct the
personnel to put it in the molten bath. Regardless, this issue can be rectified
quickly.
Serious Violation 2:
Powered industrial truck operators did receive
initial training, however was ineffective in the following topics, except in
topics which employer can demonstrate are not applicable to safe operation of
the truck in the employer’s workplace, including any vehicle inspection and
maintenance that the operator would be required to performed.
Furnace Department – On or about (Fall 2018)
an employee operating a payloader, without a functional horn, did not perform a
pre-inspection prior to use.
APSB comments. On our future tours we will start to ask the
equipment operators when we see them to hit their horn. Before we concentrated
on if the worker was wearing a seat belt and if the flashing light was working.
In the future we will observe what inspection moveable equipment operators
perform prior to the vehicle moving.
Please comment.
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