Division of McWane Cited, Issued $181,400 in Proposed OSHA Fines

Sept. 18, 2003
OSHA proposed fining an Elmira, N.Y., fire hydrant and valve manufacturer $181,400 for failing to address occupational safety and health hazards that could have killed or seriously injured employees, including hazards from falls, unlabeled chemicals, and negative health consequences from overexposure to silica.

OSHA cited Kennedy Valve, a Division of McWane Inc., for 24 alleged repeat and serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act following a comprehensive inspection conducted between March and September. The inspection was part of a national settlement agreement between OSHA and McWane Industries Inc.

Ten repeat citations account for $137,900 of the fines. These citations address fall hazards, uncovered containers of flammable liquids, not maintaining forklift name plates, inadequate machine guarding, electrical hazards, employees wearing inadequate respiratory protection, unlabeled hazardous chemicals, employee overexposure to silica and lack of administrative or engineering controls to reduce silica exposure hazards. OSHA issues repeat citations when an employer has previously been cited for substantially similar hazards and those citations have become final. The current repeat citations stem from violations found at other McWane worksites during OSHA inspections conducted between 2000 and 2003.

Fines of $43,500 are proposed for 14 serious citations including failure to properly maintain overhead lift components; deficiencies involving containers of flammable liquids; paint spray booth hazards; additional machine guarding, electrical and fall hazards; not refitting employees for hearing protection after they sustained standard threshold shift hearing loss; incomplete personal protective equipment assessment; lack of annual confined space rescue drills; over-exposure to total dust and lack of administrative controls or engineering controls; and lack of initial determination for lead exposure and shoveling of sand containing lead.

OSHA defines a serious violation as one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Sponsored Recommendations

3 Essential Elements for a Strong Safety Culture

March 13, 2024
Organizations globally have increased their attention on safety culture: trying to figure out what it really is and the aspects that are necessary to develop and sustain it. And...

Making the Case for Occupational Health Software

March 13, 2024
Deciding to invest in Occupational Health (OH) software can be a challenging leap for many organizations. This article will equip businesses with insightful strategies for effectively...

Fighting the Flu: Solutions for the Workplace

March 13, 2024
Seasonal flu continues to wreak considerable havoc both on individual wellness, as well as on our business continuity and productivity. Explore these solutions for protecting ...

Preventing SIFs with Digitization: Reduce Serious Injuries and Fatalities with Technology

March 13, 2024
This eBook discusses the origins of SIF prevention, outlines principles, models and tools available to EHS leaders to better detect and address SIF potential in their business...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!