Metal salvage recycler's safety failures cited in death of maintenance manager

OSHA investigators find 11 safety violations at Waukesha Iron & Metal

WAUKESHA, Wis. — A 52-year-old maintenance manager died of head and neck injuries after being struck by a forklift at metal recycling facility in Waukesha. Working without head protection, the man was hoisting an oxygen cylinder onto the forklift when the accident occurred.

U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration found his employer, Waukesha Iron & Metal, did not safely handle compressed gas cylinders or require workers to wear protective head equipment. OSHA also found some forklifts were unsafe and the company did not train employees on operating them safely.

OSHA cited the company on Aug. 31, for nine serious and two other-than-serious safety violations. Proposed penalties total $42,000.

"Proper safety training in using forklifts and handling cylinders and protective head safety gear could have prevented this tragedy," said Christine Zortman, OSHA's area director in Milwaukee. "Common-sense safety precautions should always be priority one on any work site."

View current citations here: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/osha/OSHA20151666.pdf

Waukesha Metal & Iron has been operating since 1956, processing large scrap metal parts including those from salvaged vehicles. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal 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, 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 Milwaukee Area Office at 414-297-3315.

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.