Workers found to be repeatedly exposed to amputation hazards at Canton Drop Forge in Ohio Fourth time company has been cited for lack of safety mechanisms

Employer name: Canton Drop Forge

Investigation site: 4575 Southway SW, Canton, Ohio

Date investigation initiated and what prompted inspection: On April 23, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Cleveland office initiated an inspection at Canton Drop Forge. The agency responded to a complaint alleging workers were exposed to machines lacking safety guards in the die shop. The company creates custom iron and steel forgings for high performance use in the transportation, aerospace and power generation industries.

Investigation findings: Investigators cited one repeated violation for exposing workers to operating parts of machinery by failing to install safety mechanisms. The company also lacked procedures to ensure equipment was turned off to prevent it from operating during service and maintenance such as the changing of dies, resulting in a serious violation.

The company was cited for similar violations twice in both April and May of 2011. In April 2011, a worker was killed at the company when he was struck by a loader bucket at the facility. Damaged equipment contributed to that fatality.

“Canton Drop Forge needs to make immediate improvements to its procedures to prevent workers from being exposed to dangerous machinery which can lead to amputations, cuts and other serious injuries,” said Howard Eberts, OSHA’s area director in Cleveland. Â “Lack of safety mechanisms on machines continues to be among the most frequently cited OSHA violations and that is unacceptable.”

Proposed Penalties: $77,000

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Cleveland Area Office at 216-447-4194.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28158

62-year-old worker dies after manufacturer ignores safety hazards OSHA cites Ridewell Corp. for 1 willful safety violation

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – If they had been in place, safety mechanisms might have saved a 62-year-old parts assembler who died after he was struck by a 4-pound metal spacer that flew off a 4-ton hydraulic press, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors determined.

An investigation at Ridewell Corp., a Springfield-based manufacturer of vehicle suspension systems, found the worker received multiple broken bones and internal injuries in the January incident. He had been employed at the company for 31 years. Inspectors found that the machine he was working on lacked required safety mechanisms.

“This tragic loss could have been prevented,” said Barbara Theriot, OSHA’s area director in Kansas City. “Ridewell workers are at risk for life-threatening hazards every time machinery is operated because this company chooses not to keep them safe.”

OSHA cited Ridewell for one willful and one additional safety violation. The willful violation cites the company for failing to protect workers from operating parts of machinery. The company also failed to provide the requested First Report of Injury document within the required four-hour timeline, resulting in one other-than-serious violation. OSHA has proposed penalties of $71,000.

Ridewell has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director in Kansas City, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Kansas City office at (816) 483-9531.

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.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28146

East Greenwich, Rhode Island, health clinic provider lacks effective blood hazard safeguards Provant Health Solutions’ employee sustains preventable needlestick injury

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An East Greenwich company that conducts wellness clinics throughout the U.S. inadequately protected its employees against exposure from contaminated needlesticks and bloodborne pathogen hazards*, an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

OSHA began an inspection of Provant Health Solutions LLC in November 2014, after an employee complained that a used needle punctured him as he unpacked a box in the company’s mailroom. The company ships clean needles and other medical supplies to clinics. After use, the contaminated needles are shipped in unmarked boxes back to the company’s headquarters for disposal by a private biohazard removal service.

OSHA inspectors determined that the packages in use did not effectively protect employees from needlesticks as boxes were unpacked. They also noted that needles could fall out of boxes into a shipping container, which happened at least twice. Boxes lacked required warning labels, and the company did not use an authorized carrier to return the contaminated needles to Provant’s headquarters. The company also lacked an effective program to minimize needlestick injuries. It also failed to train employees about hazards, as required, and did not record injuries properly.

“This company needlessly exposed its employees to preventable injuries and illnesses that can result from being punctured by contaminated needles and also lacked required safeguards,” said Patrick Griffin, OSHA’s area director for Rhode Island. “Unless Provant Health Solutions updates, changes and improves its handling of needles and other bloodborne pathogen hazards, its employees will remain at risk.”

The inspection has led OSHA to cite Provant for nine serious and one other-than-serious violation of OSHA standards. Proposed fines total $62,000.

Provant Health Solutions has more than 13,000 employees. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Providence Area Office at 401-528-4667.

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 c

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28149

Masonry workers repeatedly exposed to head injuries, falls, electrocution by employer Gaspar Fuentes

Employer name: Gaspar Fuentes

Sites: Both sites were in Fort Worth, Texas

Date Inspection Initiated and What Prompted the Inspection: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration began investigating two Gaspar Fuentes work sites in March 2015 following a referral about unsafe conditions at the commercial and residential home masonry company. The agency launched a separate investigation as part of the Regional Emphasis Program for Construction* in April 2015.

Investigation findings: OSHA cited the employer for two repeat and 11 serious safety violations. Both repeat violations were issued for failing to provide hard hats to protect workers from falling objects. The company was cited for the same violation in January 2012. The 11 serious violations were for exposing workers to trips, struck-by, falls* and electrocution hazards associated with scaffolding setup and use.

Proposed penalties: $41,600

View Citations at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/GasparFuentes1051253.pdf*
http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/GasparFuentes1048637.pdf*

Quote: “Employees were exposed to very hazardous, yet very preventable, conditions on these job sites,” said Jack Rector, OSHA’s Area Director in Fort Worth, Texas. “What will it take for this employer to fix these dangers and make sure its workers are protected against serious, deadly incidents?”

Information: Gaspar Fuentes has up to 20 employees who work in four- or five-man crews at different job sites. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its 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.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Fort Worth Area Office at 817-581-7303.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28143

7,600-pound conveyor crushes worker after weld failure – a preventable death, says OSHA KCI Inc., Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant cited in employee’s death

CLAYCOMO, Mo. – The death of a 52-year-old contractor, crushed by a conveyor carriage weighing nearly 4 tons at an automotive assembly plant, could have been averted if his employer followed federal safety standards, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators determined.

In December 2014, a weld failure caused a temporary support safety pin to disengage on an assembly line conveyor carriage at the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo. The 7,600-pound carriage then fell on the worker.

In its review, federal inspectors cited KCI Inc., which is rebuilding the assembly line at the Ford Motor Co. plant, with one willful safety violation under OSHA’s general duty clause. The agency determined that KCI did not provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. OSHA has proposed penalties of $70,000 to the construction company, which employed the deceased worker. The agency also cited Ford for not inspecting the assembly line’s construction.

“This worker’s death was preventable and a tragic loss for his family,” said Barb Theriot, OSHA’s area director in Kansas City. “KCI and Ford have a responsibility to inspect assembly lines and ensure that workers moving large parts are protected from crushing and struck-by hazards. Employers have an obligation and responsibility to protect their workers.”

OSHA cited the automaker for one serious violation for failing to perform inspections as part of Ford’s accident prevention program. Proposed penalties total $7,000.

Both companies have 15 business days from receipt of their citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director in Kansas City, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Kansas City Area Office at 816-483-9531.

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.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28131

OSHA cites Republic Steel for fall hazards at Lorain, Ohio, mill

Employer name: Republic Steel
Canton, Ohio

Investigation site: 1807 E. 28th Street
Lorain, Ohio

Date investigation initiated and what prompted inspection: On Dec. 12, 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Toledo Area Office initiated an inspection at Republic Steel’s Lorain, Ohio, mill after receiving a report that a worker fell from a height of about 12 feet. The 17-year-employee suffered contusions to the back, shoulder and abdomen.

Investigation findings: OSHA issued two repeat and two serious violations for exposing workers to falls and machinery hazards at the steel mill.

Two repeat violations cite the company for:

Exposing workers to fall hazards of about 12 feet while working in a large steel forming machine.
Failing to ensure machinery would not unexpectedly operate during service and maintenance. The company was previously cited for similar hazards at the same facility in 2014.
Two serious violations were also cited for improper crane operations and failing to inspect chain slings annually.

Quote: “Republic Steel has made tremendous strides in its workplace safety and health programs. The company has corrected the safety issues cited in this inspection and reviewed its training programs to ensure safety procedures are followed,” said Kimberly Nelson, OSHA’s Area Director in Toledo. “This incident demonstrates that the company must remain vigilant in protecting workers from falls and machinery hazards.”

To view citations see: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/RepublicSteel_1015263_1015834_060915.pdf*

Proposed Penalties: $111,500

Republic Steel is North America’s leading supplier of special bar quality steel, a highly engineered product used in axles, drive trains, suspensions, and other critical vehicle components and industrial equipment.

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, losses of an eye, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Toledo Area Office at 419-259-7542.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28140

Statement by OSHA on indictment of roofing company owner charged today in employee’s fatal fall

PHILADELPHIA – Robert D. Kulick, acting OSHA regional administrator in Philadelphia, issued the following statement about roofing company owner James J. McCullagh being charged by indictment today in connection with the fatal fall of an employee.

“Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, and it’s no secret how critical fall protection is to saving worker’s lives. OSHA cited James J. McCullagh for not protecting his workers and not providing a safe work environment. We are hopeful that this indictment will lead to accountability for this unnecessary and totally preventable workplace fatality, and most importantly, that his family will finally see justice,” said Robert D. Kulick, acting OSHA regional administrator in Philadelphia. “Employers who fail to fulfill their legal responsibilities to provide safe and healthy workplaces, who provide false statements to OSHA, and who coerce their employees to provide false statements will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28134

Contender Boats continues to expose workers to fall, amputations and electrical hazards Boat manufacturer faces $106K in proposed penalties

Employer name: Contender Boats Inc.

Inspection site: 1820 SE 38th Avenue, Homestead, Florida 33035

Date inspection initiated: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated the Dec. 16, 2014, inspection as part of the agency’s Site Specific Targeting Program.

Inspection findings: OSHA issued the employer 10 repeat, 11 serious and four other-than-serious safety and health violations. The repeated citations were issued for allowing forklifts with broken seats to be in operation; failing to perform frequent inspections of cranes to identify defects or excessive wear on operating components; exposing workers to a drill press that was not secured to the floor; using compressed air in excess of 30 pounds per square inch for cleaning; and exposing employees to several electrical hazards. OSHA cited the company for serious violations for not having safety guards on machinery; lack of stairway railings, which exposed workers to fall hazards; not implementing a hearing conservation program for employees performing boat building operations; and failing to train employees who use hazardous chemicals.

Quote: “Contender Boats must ensure worker safety is not an afterthought. There is no excuse for exposing employees to the serious hazards which could result in burns, hearing loss, amputation or even death,” said Condell Eastmond, OSHA’s area director in Ft. Lauderdale. “The company must take all the necessary steps to immediately correct the hazards and foster a safer work environment for all employees.”

Proposed penalties: $106,000

The citations can be viewed at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/ContenderBoatsInc_1014277_1018073.pdf*

Contender Boats Inc. manufactures sport fishing boats and employs approximately 160 workers. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Ft. Lauderdale Area Office at 954-424-0242

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28119

Workers exposed to physical injury, amputation risks at chemical manufacturing facility Venture Chemicals Inc. in Seagraves, Texas, fined $63K

Employer Name: Venture Chemicals Inc.

Location: Seagraves, Texas

Date Inspection Initiated and What Prompted the Inspection: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened the inspection in December 2014 after an employee was fatally caught in a mixer/auger bin.

Investigation Findings: OSHA cited the employer for 18 serious and nine other-than-serious violations. The investigation by OSHA’s Lubbock Area Office resulted in citations for build-up of combustible dust; multiple electrical violations that could have started a fire; failing to implement a respiratory program by fit testing, conducting medical evaluations and training workers required to wear respirators; and for not using required protective equipment on two augers – creating the possibility of amputation or other serious injury.

Proposed Penalties:Â $63,000

View Citations at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/VentureChemicals_1014804.pdf*

Quote: Â “Venture Chemicals allowed workers to operate dangerous equipment without appropriate protective measures, and a worker died because of it. This death could have been prevented,” said Elizabeth Linda Routh, OSHA’s area director in Lubbock.

Information: Venture Chemicals Inc., a specialty chemical manufacturing company, has 15 business days from receipt of its 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.

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, losses of an eye, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Lubbock District Office at 806-472-7681.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28122

OSHA cites Tip Top Roofing for 2nd time this year after workers observed roofing townhomes without the use of fall protection

Employer name: Tip Top Roofing & Construction/Tip Top Exteriors Inc.
                            2030 Coltonville Road, Sycamore, Illinois

Investigation site: 1990 Town Drive
Naperville, Illinois

Date investigation initiated and what prompted inspection: On Dec. 10, 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Aurora Area Office initiated an inspection of roofing contractor Tip Top Roofing & Construction Inc. after receiving a complaint alleging workers were exposed to fall hazards at a residential jobsite in Naperville.

The company performs roofing operations throughout the Chicagoland and Northwestern Illinois area and has a substantial history of OSHA violations related to fall protection and ladder use. The company was most recently cited by OSHA in April of 2015. The company has contested those citations.

Investigation findings: OSHA issued two willful and three serious violations for exposing workers to falls and other hazards while re-roofing an existing residence.

Two willful violations cite the company for:

Exposing workers to fall hazards of about 18 feet because the company failed to require the use of fall protection Â
Failing to extend a ladder at least three feet above the landing to provide safe roof access. The company was cited for both of these hazards in April 2015.
Three serious violations involve failing to protect roof workers from falling through unguarded skylights, using fall protection anchors that were not capable of supporting 5,000 pounds and failing to train workers on fall hazards and prevention.

Quote: “Tip Top Roofing and Construction continues to endanger the safety of its workers by refusing to ensure that fall protection is used on the job sites. A worker can be severely injured or killed in a fall in mere seconds. Failing to protect them from harm is unacceptable,” said Jacob Scott, OSHA’s Area Director in Aurora. “Roofing contractors have a responsibility to train and protect their workers on job sites.”

To view citations see: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/TipTopRoofing_1012879.pdf*

Proposed Penalties: $145,900

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Aurora Area Office at 630-896-8700.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=28098