With long history of violations, El Paso, Texas, company faces more than $321K in federal fines

EL PASO, Texas — With a history of safety violations dating back 15 years, an El Paso metal stamping plant is no stranger to warnings from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA issued 13 safety and health citations to D&D Manufacturing Inc. today following a recent inspection prompted by a formal complaint. The inspection identified 13 safety and health citations for exposing workers to amputations and other serious injuries from unsafe machinery, including a violation for ignoring the danger of allowing employees to work with a defective 500-ton metal press that the company knew had repeatedly dropped without warning.

Completed under OSHA's National Emphasis Program on Amputations, the inspection resulted in $321,750 in proposed department fines for D&D. This inspection follows one in December 2014 that resulted in 36 federal citations for serious safety violations.

"D&D is aware of the dangers at its production facility, but has done nothing to correct them. An employee could have been seriously injured," said Diego Alvarado Jr., OSHA's area director in El Paso. "There is no reason, or excuse for a company to ignore basic safety requirements."

OSHA cited the company for four willful, one repeated, six serious and two other violations. In addition to allowing workers to use the defective press, D&D did not ensure that employees on the production floor wore appropriate eye protection, given the risk of flying metal particles blinding them.

Additionally, the company failed to make sure employees used hearing protection in areas where noise levels were above the acceptable limits. The repeated violation was for failing to have all illuminated exit signs lit.

View the citations at https://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/D_D_Manufacturing_1018388_0710_15.pdf

D&D Manufacturing fabricates stamped, metal components for equipment manufacturers. The company has headquarters in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and employs about 37 workers in El Paso. It also has a facility in Mexico. D&D has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's El Paso 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, 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 El Paso Area Office at 915-534-6251.

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.