The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $51,200 in penalties for 31 safety and health violations found at ConArt Inc.'s concrete manufacturing facility in Cobb, Ga.
"OSHA inspectors found numerous serious hazards, including multiple violations making employees vulnerable to amputation, which no employer should tolerate in its workplace," said John J. Deifer, director of OSHA's Savannah Area Office.
Inspectors proposed $32,400 in penalties for 16 serious safety violations and $18,800 in penalties for 12 serious health violations, along with three other-than-serious violations. Problems include exposing employees to amputation hazards from machines lacking safety guards, electrical shock hazards by not implementing a lockout program to prevent accidental start-ups of equipment, and fall hazards by not providing standard guardrails and covers or grates for openings.
Additionally, employees working around an open vat containing flammable material, allowing employees to smoke in flammable storage areas and combustible dust accumulated on machines represent burn and fire hazards. ConArt Inc. failed to establish a respiratory protection program or a hearing conservation program. The company's management did not provide training in bloodborne pathogens for first-aid responders. Finally, employees were not supplied with protective gloves and were allowed to handle corrosive materials without the availability of eyewash.
The company has 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.