OSHA Cites Company for Willful Disregard of Machine Guards
Following a March inspection of the Lyons Tool and Machine Inc. plant in Lyons, Ga., OSHA has proposed $59,800 in total penalties, $56,000 of which is for the company's failure to provide machine guards on its mechanical power press. The agency considered the latter violation a willful citation, which is issued when an employer has shown an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
"Amputation is a very real threat when machines lack the proper safety features," said John J. Deifer, OSHA's area director in Savannah, Ga. "OSHA inspectors found that this employer continued to disregard the agency's requirements on machine guards, despite an earlier citation for a similar violation in 2006."
The metal fabrication company also has been cited with two serious violations and $2,800 in penalties for exposing employees to struck-by hazards from compressed gas cylinders that were not properly secured. A $1,000 penalty has been proposed against the company for failing to produce an OSHA 300 log for 2008, which companies are required to maintain to record work-related injuries and illnesses.