The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that an Alabama manufacturing plant exposed workers to safety hazards.
OSHA investigators determined that the employer repeatedly exposed workers to safety hazards by failing to de-energize and lockout the automated molding machine while workers were performing maintenance and cleaning. Investigators found the company exposed workers to caught-in hazards by failing to do the following:
- Develop and utilize written lockout/tagout procedures.
- Conduct periodic inspections of lockout/tagout procedures.
- Ensure that employees are trained on lockout/tagout procedures.
- Ensure that employees are placing locks when conducting lockout/tagout procedures.
- Ensure machine guarding was in place for employees working in the pit.
OSHA cited the employer with six serious violations and proposed $95,981 in penalties, an amount set by federal statute.
