A Thomaston, Conn.,
precast concrete products plant faces $105,500 in proposed fines from the U.S.
Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for
unguarded saw blades and a variety of chemical, fire and electrical
hazards.
Coreslab
Structures Inc. was cited for alleged willful and serious violations of safety
standards following an OSHA inspection begun September 28, 2006, in response to
a complaint about possible unsafe conditions at the
OSHA's
inspection found that circular saws used to cut wood and plastic stock routinely
lacked required guards. These guards are meant to keep any part of an employee's
body from coming into contact with a saw's operating blades and prevent stock
from kicking back during cutting. The absence of guarding exposes employees to
the hazards of lacerations, amputation or being struck by kicked-back
materials.
As
a result, Coreslab was issued one willful citation, carrying the maximum
proposed fine of $70,000, for the lack of guarding. OSHA defines a willful
violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain
indifference to, requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health
Act.
"Machine
guarding is a vital, common and commonsense safeguard that must not be
disregarded by employers," said C. William Freeman III, OSHA's area director in
The
company also was issued eight serious citations, with $35,500 in proposed fines,
for improper storage of flammable chemicals, blocked access to fire
extinguishers, improper saw operation, electrical hazards, unlabeled containers
of hazardous chemicals and inadequate machine guarding. OSHA issues a serious
citation when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard
about which the employer knew or should have known.
Coreslab
has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to request and participate in
an informal conference with OSHA's area director or to contest the citations
before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review
Commission.