The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Industrial Ceramic Products, also known as ICP, in Marysville, Ohio, with two willful, seven serious and four other-than-serious safety violations after a worker suffered a permanent arm injury while fixing a jammed machine. The manufacturer of industrial ceramic products is facing proposed penalties of $91,500.
"Failing to properly lock out machinery and electrical equipment from energy sources while workers perform maintenance places them at serious risk of injury," said OSHA area director Deborah Zubaty in Columbus, Ohio. "There is no excuse for this type of complacency or for a worker to suffer permanent injury because an employer chooses not to comply with OSHA regulations. OSHA will do all it can to protect employees in the workplace."
OSHA's inspection, which began in June, cited the company with willful violations for failing to establish and enforce energy control procedures and to have guards in place on tube cutters. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
The serious citations are for failing to train employees on lockout/tagout procedures for energized equipment; to provide appropriate personal protective gear for employees working on electrical equipment; and to ensure electrical parts were de-energized when employees were working on them. An OSHA violation is serious when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
ICP received the other-than-serious violations for failing to properly record and accurately describe workplace injuries and illnesses that resulted in lost workdays in the OSHA 300 log for the years 2007 to 2009. An-other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.
ICP has had 10 previous OSHA inspections resulting in 30 violations.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its current citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
