Pet Food Plant Cited with $758,000 in Fines
The case includes nine per-instance willful citations for failing to require respirator use by six workers exposed to dust above the permissible exposure limit and failing to adequately protect three dust collection units which collect dusts such as starch, potato base, cellulose fiber, and pea protein.
OSHA announced an enforcement action with a total of $758,450 in proposed fines against All-Feed Processing & Packaging Inc. for 23 alleged safety and health violations at its pet food production and packaging facility in Galva, Ill., on Nov. 2. The citation alleges the site willfully violated air contaminant, respiratory protection, and hearing conservation standards, and some alleged fire and explosion protection violations were cited under the general duty clause, where concentrations of combustible dust existed, according to the agency's news release.
"Even after a powerful dust explosion and fire at this facility in 2009, along with a number of citations previously issued for similar conditions, All-Feed Processing & Packaging fails to comply with safety and health requirements," said OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels. "By showing a blatant disregard for worker safety and health, this employer continues to expose workers to deadly hazards."
The case includes nine per-instance willful citations for failing to require respirator use by six workers exposed to dust above the permissible exposure limit and failing to adequately protect three dust collection units which collect dusts such as starch, potato base, cellulose fiber, and pea protein.
Four additional single-instance willful citations were issued for requiring employees to work in areas where they were exposed to total dust in excess of permissible limits and failing to implement adequate engineering controls for the employees; the citation says the site allowed the use of liquid propane-powered industrial trucks in atmospheres where combustible dust could be ignited.
These 13 willful violations totaled $700,700 of the fines, OSHA said.
Before the inspection that resulted in the citation began in May, All-Feed Processing & Packaging had been inspected by OSHA 10 times since 2000, resulting in 17 alleged willful, 44 serious, five repeat, and 10 other-than-serious violations. OSHA's release said the company has been placed in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which includes mandatory OSHA follow-up inspections and inspections of other sites operated by the same employer.