Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are cracking down on unsafe workplaces, and they’re making their mark here in Georgia. Recently, officials cited both Ardagh Glass in Warner Robins and Supermarket Equipment Sales in Rutledge for various safety and health violations.Ardagh Glass Inc. was slapped with one wilflul and one serious safety violation in response to an employee suffering a finger amputation and crushed hand when they tried to remove a glass mold from a bottle-shaping machine at the company’s facility in Warner Robins. The willful violation comes after investigators discovered that the company didn’t use lockout/tagout procedures when its workers were completing various operations. The serious violation comes as a result of the company failing to make sure that its employers who were working on this equipment were provided with the proper safety equipment. The equipment required for this kind of work is used to prevent contact at the point of operation with moving parts and molten glass.
Our Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyers understand that those violations packed a total of more than $75,000 in fines, but that’s miniscule when compared to the cost of a human life. In the inspection of Supermarket Equipment Sales, the company was hit with more than 15 health and safety violations. This inspection was launched after a complaint was filed back in February about the company’s location in Rutledge. With these fines, a proposed penalty of more than $62,000 was levied.
Supermarket Equipment Sales Serious Violations:
-Exposing the workers to fall, explosion and fire hazards.
-Allowing the amount of flammable/combustible paint stored in the spray booth to go well over a one-day supply.
-The company stored carbon dioxide cylinders in places that were dangerous. They could have been knocked over easily.
-The company did not ensure that two-ton hooks were not overloaded beyond the rated capacity provided by the manufacturer.
-Covers were not in place on all electrical panels.
-The company did not create any kind of specific lockout/tagout procedures for equipment.
-Workers were not trained properly on energy control procedures.
-The company failed to inspect powered industrial trucks for deficiencies before putting them to work.
-Lighting was not properly installed in the spray booths. The lighting was deemed NOT to be explosion-proof.
-Respirators were not properly maintained in sanitary condition.
-The company failed to keep and maintain a written hazard communication program.
They were also slapped with two more other-than-serious violations. Although these violations come with no fine, they’re just as dangerous. The company allowed workers to use a powered industrial truck that has not been evaluated or inspected in nearly 10 years. It was also cited for failing to make sure that the fire extinguishers on site were charged and ready to be used.
Each year, there are thousands who are killed on the job in the U.S. It is these types of preventative measures that can help to reduce these risks of fatal accidents. That’s why officials with OSHA conduct a series of investigations into the companies in question.
If you or a loved one has been injured on the job, contact J. Franklin Burns, P.C., to speak with an experienced attorney. For a free consultation call 1-404-920-4708 today.
