11 Serious Safety Violations Cost Georgia Employer $51K Fine

The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Plastican Inc. in Macon, a division of Bway Holding Corp., with 11 safety violations following an April inspection of the company's facility. Proposed penalties total $51,757. Bway Holding Corp., a North American manufacturer of rigid metal and plastic containers, has its corporate office in Atlanta and acquired Plastican Inc. in October 2010. The Macon facility manufactures plastic open head pails and screw top injection pails.
 

 

A serious violation occurs, when a known or unknown potentially deadly or harmful hazard is found. According to the OSHA report, 10 serious violations were reported including:
(1) exposing employees to falling hazards citing platform missing mid-rail;
(2) failure to develop lockout and tag out procedures for the energy sources of the injection molding machine, grinders, and blenders;
(3) allowing unguarded equipment;
(4) open holes of junction boxes located throughout the plant;
(5) no labeling  of electrical panel breakers;
(6) obstructing access to the electrical panels;
(7) exposing electrical parts on equipment;
(8) failure to wire a fan directly to a switch;
(9) slip and trip hazards; 
(10) flexible cords being used as permanent wiring. (WCxKit)

 

One other-than-serious violation is being cited for failing to certify monthly inspections of hooks for the overload crane. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably will not cause death or serious physical harm. (WCxKit)
 

 

"This inspection identified a broad range of hazards that, if left uncorrected, expose workers to electric shock, potential falls and 'caught-in' hazards posed by work around machinery," said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office. "Employers cannot wait for an OSHA inspection to identify the hazards that expose their employees to serious injury. It is good business to implement preventive programs and systems to ensure that such hazards are identified and corrected as part of day-to-day operations."