Atlanta's American Air Filter Co. continues to expose workers to serious safety hazards

OSHA proposes penalties of nearly $120K for employer with history of safety violations

Employer name: American Air Filter Co. Inc., doing business as AAF International

Inspection site: 2624 Weaver Way, Atlanta, Georgia 30340

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued two repeated, two serious and one other-than-serious violation to the air filter manufacturer on Aug. 21.

American Air Filter employs temporary workers from two staffing agencies: JTJ Staffing Inc., doing business as True Staffing; and JEZ Staffing Inc., doing business as Microtech Staffing. OSHA did not issue citations to the staffing agencies.

Investigation findings: The safety violations identified during the inspection include failing to provide proper machine guarding to protect employees from amputation hazards and not following safety procedures to prevent machinery from starting up unexpectedly during maintenance and servicing.

Proposed penalties: $119,900

Quote: "This is the second significant enforcement action we've conducted at AAF International in the last six months," said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office. "We found the same type of hazards during a recent inspection in a different area at the same plant. Management continues to allow workers to clean equipment without following safety procedures and without guards being properly installed. This company needs to address all workplace hazards, not just the ones for which penalties have been proposed."

The citations can be viewed at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/americanairfilter_1044804_2nd_sig-case.pdf

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission.

American Air Filter Co. Inc. is currently in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program for demonstrating indifference to its OSH Act obligations to provide a safe and healthful workplace for employees.

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 Atlanta-East Area Office at 770-493-6644.

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.