OSHA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 8/14

The OSH Act of 1970 requires US employers to provide a safe, healthy workplace for every employee. Failure to comply with applicable OSHA health & safety standards can easily lead to preventable injuries and fatal accidents at workplaces of all types.

The enforcement actions highlighted below provide insight into how and why OSHA issues citations for workplace safety violations. All violations discussed are alleged only, unless we say otherwise.

We withhold the names of organizations and individuals subject to enforcement to protect their privacy. Check out OSHA’s latest list of the 10 most-cited safety Standards here.

A Boston dumpling manufacturer faces $190,541 in penalties for alleged machine guarding violations

Following up on a 2022 inspection of the facility, OSHA claims the operator did not install required safety guards on a dumpling sorting machine’s rotating shafts. The Agency previously cited the company for this issue after an employee was seriously injured.

OSHA issued citations for the following alleged violations: one willful, two repeat, and four serious violations related to machine guarding, electrical shock exposure, lack of energy control procedures, inadequate eyewash facilities, an incomplete hearing conservation program, and an incomplete hazard communication program.

OSHA proposes $296,668 in penalties in response to severely burned employee at a rendering plant in Green Bay, WI.

In January 2023, workers tried to clear a blockage at this facility when a pump seal released steam and hot oil, severely burning one of the workers. Responding to the incident, OSHA inspectors claim the company failed to develop and implement hazardous energy control procedures for workers clearing blocked pumps and piping.

Allegations include exposure to fall risks due to broken guardrails, unprotected edges, wet floors; failure to prevent explosion hazards caused by combustible dust buildup and lack of employee training; electrical hazards; unguarded machinery; and unguarded or unlabeled hot steam and process pipes.

OSHA issued citations for three repeat and 10 serious violations, and this inspection was expanded under a Region 5 Local Emphasis Program.

A $129,473 penalty for an Ohio pet store who allegedly failed to label chemical containers and exposed workers to heath hazards.

OSHA inspected a Ohio pet store in response to a complaint the Agency received from an employee. Following the inspection, OSHA cited the store for two repeat and two serious violations.

Allegedly, the business lacked an adequate vermin control program, and employees were routinely exposed to live and dead rodents, and animal waste. The Agency also claims that employees were exposed to electrical hazards from blocked electrical panels and chemical hazards due to unlabeled chemical cleaner containers and the absence of a skin/eye flushing station.

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Tags: hazard communication, osha, OSHA Enforcement Roundup