Willful, Serious Violations Cited in Amputation Case
Marglen Industries Inc., a recycling company, faces $69,300 in proposed penalties after a serious injury at its Rome, Ga. facility.
OSHA has cited Marglen Industries Inc., alleging one willful and one serious safety violation at its Rome, Ga., facility after a worker had four fingers amputated while servicing a dust collector's airlock system there. The agency announced the enforcement action in a news release dated Oct. 15 that said the inspection in response to the incident was done under the agency's National Emphasis Program on Amputations.
The willful violation alleges the company allowed employees to perform service and maintenance on the airlock system without developing, documenting, and using a specific lockout/tagout procedure for de-energizing it. The serious violation involves its alleged failure to train workers as required by the company's lockout/tagout program to ensure they can recognize hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and how to isolate energy.
"Although the company has a lockout/tagout program, it was not implemented for this machine, resulting in serious injury to a worker," said Andre Richards, director of OSHA's Atlanta-West Area Office. "It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that proper safety procedures are followed at all times."
According to the release, Marglen Industries recycles plastic bottles into carpet or food-grade packaging. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.