The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Quality Trailers Enterprise Inc. with 15 serious safety violations, including a lack of personal protective equipment and exposing workers to machine guarding hazards, at its trailer manufacturing facility in Salem, Ohio. Proposed fines from the complaint inspection total $55,300.
"Quality Trailers Enterprises has a responsibility to train and protect workers from known hazards, such as noise and machinery in its manufacturing facility," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland. "OSHA is committed to common-sense safety and health regulations, which protect workers on the job."
Ten serious safety violations involve lack of machine guarding, failing to develop a lockout/tagout program to control the release of hazardous energy while servicing and maintaining equipment, lack of fire-extinguisher training, failing to train workers in the operation of powered industrial trucks, not providing welding shields and curtains, and exposing workers to live wiring.
Additionally, five serious health violations were cited for exposure to noise, lack of personal protective equipment, improper oxygen-cylinder storage, allowing combustible paint residue to accumulate in the paint booth, and failing to conduct a workplace hazard-assessment program and to develop and train workers on a hazard-communication program.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and notice of proposed penalties to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. If the company does not file or contest within that period, it must abate the cited conditions within the period ordered in the citations and pay the proposed penalties.
For more information, visit www.osha.gov.