August 4, 2016

OSHA fines South Jersey chemical facility $115K for exposing workers to flammable gas, other hazards; finds 3 repeat, 8 serious violations

Employer name: Solvay Specialty Polymers USA LLC

Inspection site: 10 Leonard Lane, West Deptford, New Jersey          

August 4, 2016

Maintenance technician crushed fatally when 4,000 pound machine part unintentionally moves during repairs at Warrensburg foundry

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – A 57-year-old maintenance worker was crushed fatally by a 4,000 pound machine part while performing maintenance inside of a sand core machine at a Warrensburg aluminum foundry.

August 4, 2016

OSHA finds Wisconsin foundry employees at risk for permanent hearing loss, respiratory illness, other dangers from exposure to noise, silica

Employer name: Waupaca Foundry Inc., 
1955 Brunner Drive, 
Waupaca, Wisconsin

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued two repeat and two serious safety violations to Waupaca Foundry Inc.

August 4, 2016

Tubing manufacturer’s fall, electric shock, unguarded equipment and other safety hazards yield nearly $197K in proposed fines

Employer name: Golden Dragon Copper Inc., doing business as GD Copper USA Inc.

Inspection site: 405 GD Copper Drive, Pine Hill, Alabama 36769

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to GD Copper for two willful, one repeat, nine serious and two other-than-serious safety violations. 

August 3, 2016

Employees of Schenectady remediation contractor ‘needlessly sickened’ when their employer exposes them to mercury poisoning

ALBANY, N.Y. – A Schenectady hazardous materials remediation contractor exposed its employees to mercury poisoning and did not provide proper safeguards to workers doing mercury removal work at the General Electric Co. Power and Water Main Plant State Superfund site at 1 River Road in Schenectady, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

August 3, 2016

OSHA finds Ohio metal coating plant continues to expose workers to risk of injuries, illnesses from acid, chemical, machine hazards

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Splashing acid and other serious hazards are putting employees at a Sylvania metal coating company in danger of serious and debilitating injuries because their employer is failing again to provide appropriate protective clothing and other safety equipment, federal safety and health inspectors have found.

August 3, 2016

OSHA finds machine safety violations at Prairie State Generating Company four times in less than five years, company fined more than $67K

Employer name: Prairie State Generating Company
Marissa, Illinois

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 3, 2016

OSHA finds Osceola US Postal facility exposed workers to electrical, chemical hazards; proposes $44K in fines

Employer name: U.S. Postal Service, 104 S. Fillmore St., Osceola, Iowa

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 2, 2016

OSHA finds lack of adequate machine guarding after worker has three fingers crushed at Chicago steel drum manufacturer

Employer name: Meyer Steel Drum Inc.
2000 S. Kilbourn Ave.
Chicago, Illinois

Citations issued: July 27, 2016

August 2, 2016

Roofing company did not provide adequate fall protection to worker who died after 33-foot fall at Watertown Community Center project

WATERTOWN, S.D. ‒ Federal investigators found a 24-year-old roofing worker, who fell more than 33 feet to his death lacked an adequate fall protection system and his employer failed to train him to work safely at heights.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the man, who was installing roofing materials, was outside of a warning line placed on the roof when he fell off the roof of the Watertown Community Center.

August 2, 2016

Name change or not, Nebraska builder continues his callous disregard for protecting workers from falls, the leading cause of construction worker’s deaths

ELKHORN, Neb. ‒ Rich Tiller might have changed his company’s name, but the Nebraska construction company owner has not changed his callous attitude toward his employees’ safety and well-being.

August 2, 2016

OSHA finds Tyson employees exposed to occupational noise, other hazards at two Holcomb, Kansas, facilities

Employer name: Tyson Fresh Meats Inc.
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. a division doing business as Tyson Hides and Tannery
Holcomb, Kansas

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Wichita Area Office cited Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. and Tyson Hides and Tannery for a total of two repeated, five serious, and one other than serious safety and health violations.

August 2, 2016

OSHA finds hazards at two Kansas Dollar General stores; retailer cited for more than 100 safety violations at its stores nationwide

WICHITA, Kan. – Federal safety inspectors have again found blocked exits and other hazards at stores operated by national discount retailer, Dollar General – this time in Wichita and Clay Center.

August 2, 2016

OSHA fines Lamoure grain company $104K for violations after worker caught in sweep auger, injured

FREDONIA, N.D. – An investigation into a 36-year-old worker’s injuries at a North Dakota grain facility found multiple violations of federal safety standards for grain handling and confined space entry, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

August 2, 2016

OSHA cites Rohm-Haas Electronics Material for exposing employees to fire, explosion hazards; finds 11 workplace safety violations

Employer name: Rohm-Haas Electronics Material, LLC, doing business as Dow Chemical Co.
60 Willow St., North Andover, Massachusetts a manufacturer of specialty chemicals.

What prompted OSHA’s inspection: On Jan. 7, 2016, an explosion occurred as plant employees were engaged in the trimethyl aluminum cylinder reclamation process. The process involves purging the cylinders of residual amounts of trimethyl aluminum, a substance that can ignite spontaneously in air. Four employees were injured as a result of the explosion.

August 2, 2016

OSHA finds workers exposed to falls, electric shock, other hazards at pre-cast concrete structure manufacturer following complaint, injury

Employer name: The Turner Company LLP

Inspection site: 11049 South U.S. Hwy 287, Rhome, Texas 76078

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 2, 2016

Two OSHA inspectors find North Jersey company exposes workers to more than two dozen serious crane, chemical hazards

Employer name: RCS Construction LLC

Inspection site: 265 Pennsylvania Ave., Hillside, New Jersey 

August 2, 2016

OSHA cites Missouri machine shop after welder electrocuted, dies

MARTHASVILLE, Mo. – Federal investigators found the electrocution death of a 43-year-old welder could have been prevented if his employer had de-energized conductors and followed electrical safe work practices at its Missouri machine shop.

August 2, 2016

OSHA fines mobile home trailer axle manufacturer, recycler for exposing workers to amputations

Employer name: Lone Star Wheel Components Inc.

Inspection site: 3129 East Highway 31, Corsicana, Texas 75110

Citations issued: July 29, 2016

August 1, 2016

Wisconsin shipyard faces nearly $1.4M in OSHA penalties for exposing workers to lead, and other hazards while retrofitting vessel

SUPERIOR, Wis. –  Federal health inspectors found Fraser Shipyards Inc. overexposed workers to lead during the retrofitting of a ship’s engine room. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s sampling results determined 14 workers had lead levels up to 20 times the exposure limit. The agency also found workers exposed to other heavy metals.