Ronell Managed Services LLC, of Roselle, N.J., and Topps Meat Co. in Elizabeth, N.J., have been cited for safety violations, with total proposed penalties of $103,500, following an investigation of an amputation at Topps Meat, OSHA said.
The agency initiated its investigation in February, after a Ronell maintenance worker''s arm was severed as he was cleaning a mixer-blender.
OSHA charged Ronell Managed Services with one alleged willful and four alleged serious violations of OSHA standards, according to Robert Kulick, OSHA''s area director in Avenel, N.J.
Ronell was cited for failing to ensure that employees used lockout/tagout devices on machinery, an alleged willful violation carrying a total proposed penalty of $70,000.
Alleged serious violations, with a total proposed penalty of $20,000 were issued for:
- failure to conduct periodic inspections of energy control procedures.
- failure to properly train employees required to clean machines about how to recognize and isolate energy sources.
- failure to inform the on-site employer about lock/out procedures.
- failure to ensure that disconnects for machines were properly marked.
The host employer, Topps Meat Co. received citations for six alleged serious violations, with total proposed penalties of $13,500 for:
- failure to keep obstructions away from emergency exits.
- failure to provide locks for employees responsible for dismantling and cleaning machines.
- failure to conduct an annual review of lockout procedures and train employees in the procedures.
- failure to apply locks on machinery disconnects prior to cleaning.
- failure to properly guard rotating machinery parts.
- failure to label disconnecting boxes and provide a continuous ground path.
Topps Meat was also cited for failure to post and to certify the required OSHA log of injuries and illnesses in the workplace.
by Virginia Foran