Portersville, Pennsylvania, manufacturer again cited by OSHA for exposing employees to safety and health hazards

Employer name: Portersville Sales & Testing Inc., is a gas tubes and truck trailer manufacturing company located at 1406 Perry Highway in Portersville, Pennsylvania. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Amarillo, Texas.

Citations issued: On Dec. 2, 2015, the Department of Labor's Occupationa1Safety and Health Administration's Pittsburgh Area Office issued citations for 15 serious safety and health violations.

Investigation findings: OSHA initiated an inspection on June 5, 2015, in response to a complaint alleging spray booth hazards and health concerns related to the company's painting operation.

Portersville Sales & Testing was cited for using flammable materials in its trailer spraying operation, and using a homemade jack stand to lift trailers, which exposed employees to crush-by hazards. Citations were also issued for exposing employees to fall hazards when accessing the roof of the building, as well as excessive amounts of dust which can have both short and long-term health effects.

Portersville Sales & Testing Inc.'s workers compensation carrier is Liberty Mutual. The employer has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Proposed penalties: $43,600

Quote: "Spray finishing with flammables and supporting heavy equipment with non-proof tested jacks can be extremely dangerous and potentially deadly," said Christopher Robinson, OSHA's area director in Pittsburgh. "Porterville Sales & Testing Inc. has once again not met its obligation to provide a safe and healthful work environment for its employees."

View the citations: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/PortersvilleSales_TestingInc_1091963.pdf

This is the second time this year that OSHA has cited the company for safety and health hazards. The company was previously cited in July 2015.

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 Pittsburgh Area Office at 412-395-4903.