Massachusetts Metals Plant Fined $89,100 After Employee Was Crushed by Machinery
Engineered Materials Solutions Inc. was cited for 29 alleged serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act following OSHA inspections conducted between Oct. 19, 2004, and Feb. 17, 2005.
An accident inspection found that the machine had not been guarded to prevent employees from being caught in its moving parts, according to OSHA. In addition, the company allegedly had failed to establish and enforce lockout/tagout procedures for employees performing cleaning and maintenance work on the machine. Such procedures are required to prevent the machine's accidental startup by ensuring it is completely shut down and its power source locked out before work begins.
Other alleged conditions cited during the safety inspection included:
- Numerous additional instances of unguarded machinery;
- Exposed live electrical parts;
- Ungrounded electrical equipment;
- Lack of required eyewash stations and face protection for employees;
- Slings not marked to show their lifting capacity;
- Missing stair rails; and
- A flammable storage cabinet that did not meet minimal fire resistance requirements.
A concurrent OSHA health inspection identified several alleged hazards involving cadmium, an extremely toxic metal. These included employees exposed to excess levels of cadmium; ineffective steps to reduce exposure levels; inadequate monitoring of workers for exposure; cadmium-contaminated surfaces in the break room, change room and other locations; inadequate or improper methods of cleaning up cadmium; and an incomplete cadmium compliance plan.
"The number and breadth of hazards found here are cause for serious concern," said Brenda Gordon, OSHA's area director for southeastern Massachusetts. "Effective steps must be taken and maintained to both prevent future accidents and protect workers against a highly toxic substance."
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to challenge them.