OSHA issues penalties to Alabama automotive parts manufacturer

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing $60,500 in penalties against Hysco America. The department is alleging 12 workplace safety and health violations at the Greenville, Ala., manufacturing plant.

OSHA began its inspection in June as part of its national emphasis program to prevent amputations in the workplace. The citations include one willful violation carrying a $49,000 penalty for the company allowing an amputation hazard to continue by failing to provide proper machine guarding on its production equipment.

"There is no excuse for management to wait for an accident to happen before taking corrective action," said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA's area director in Mobile, Ala. "Hysco America knew that this was a hazard because they had experienced an employee injury at another location in 2009, and even though they corrected the hazard at that location, they failed to correct a similar hazardous condition at this plant."

The company has received seven serious citations with penalties totaling $10,000 for tripping hazards due to excessive debris in the facility; open-sided floors; blocked exit routes; improper railings on stairs; failure to perform periodic inspection of lockout/tagout procedures; and machine guarding hazards.

OSHA has issued four other-than-serious citations with $1,500 in penalties for not properly completing the OSHA 300 log for 2007, 2008 and 2009 and for failing to provide information to workers employing voluntary-use respirators at the plant.

The Hysco America plant employs approximately 75 workers and manufactures parts for Hyundai Motors.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the 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