Plastics manufacturer exposes employees to amputation, other hazards; OSHA proposes $54K in fines after federal safety and health inspection

Employer name: Thomson Plastics Inc.

Inspection site: 130 Quality Drive, Thomson, Georgia 30824

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to Thomson Plastics on May 09 for one repeated and two serious safety violations.

Investigation findings: The agency cited the company for failing repeatedly to perform annual inspections of the energy control procedures to ensure compliance. OSHA cited the company for the same violation at this location in July 2012.

The serious violations relate to the employer not providing written energy control procedures to prevent machinery from starting during maintenance and servicing, and exposing workers to amputation hazards due to unguarded rotating fan blades.

Proposed penalties: $54,000

Quote: “Thomson Plastics – like all employers – have a legal, ethical and moral obligation to assess the workplace for new or reoccurring safety hazards and to ensure measures are taken promptly to protect employees,” said William Fulcher, OSHA’s area director in the Atlanta-East Office. “Employers should not wait for an OSHA inspection or incident to occur before they proactively evaluate and correct hazards, especially when they have been cited previously.”

The citations can be viewed at:

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/legacy-files/newsroom/newsreleases/OSHA20160835.pdf

Headquartered in Thomson, Thomson Plastics designs, manufactures and assembles plastic injection molding products for golf carts and lawn mowers. The company has facilities in Howell, Michigan and Lexington, North Carolina and employs approximately 330 workers.

The employer 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, 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.