Florida pallet recycling company exposes temporary and full-time workers to deadly safety hazards following OSHA inspection

Employer name: Pallet Recycle of Alabama Inc.

Inspection site: 2424 Lasso Ave., Lakeland, Florida 30801

Date citations issued: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued 29 citations to the employer on Aug. 3. The safety inspection was initiated in March 2015, as part of the agency's National Emphasis Program on Amputations. A health inspection related to excessive noise was initiated in April.

Inspection findings: OSHA issued the employer 17 serious and 12 other-than-serious safety violations for failure to develop and implement a monitoring plan for workers exposed to high noise levels; develop procedures to prevent machinery from starting up unexpectedly during maintenance and servicing; provide personal protective equipment to workers; and train employees who operate forklifts. The employer was also cited for exposing workers to fall hazards and moving parts on equipment that was missing safety guards.

Quote: "Pallet Recycle failed to protect its full-time and temporary workers from a wide range of safety and health hazards that could result in serious injury or death," said Les Grove, OSHA's director of the Tampa Area Office. "Employers cannot wait for an OSHA inspection to identify these hazards. It's good business to implement preventative programs and systems to identify and correct such hazards as part of day-to-day operations."

Proposed penalties: $71,400

The citations can be viewed at:

• http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/PalletRecycleofAlabamaInc_1057195.pdf
• http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/PalletRecycleofAlabamaInc_1047229.pdf

Pallet Recycling refurbishes wood pallets used in many industries. 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 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 Tampa Area Office at 813-626-1177.