OSHA Cites Truck Parts Manufacturer for Safety Violations
The agency has cited Blue Ridge Manufacturing LLC and proposed $64,400 in fines.
OSHA has cited Blue Ridge Manufacturing LLC, a truck parts manufacturer in Blue Ridge, Ga., with $64,400 in proposed fines, following a March 2013 inspection. The inspection, prompted by a complaint, found the company had exposed workers to several safety hazards
Blue Ridge Manufacturing has been cited for 20 alleged serious safety and health violations (totaling $63,700 in penalties), as well as one other-than-serious violation ($700 in penalties) for its failure to maintain OSHA-mandated injury and illness logs. The serious safety violations includes failure to provide lockout/tagout training to protect workers from dangerous machinery, failure to inspect the crane used to pick up steel parts, and failure to ensure exits were unlocked and marked. The company also allegedly exposed workers to struck-by and caught-in hazards from unguarded equipment, electrical shock, burn hazards, and dust levels that were six times above the established limit, according to OSHA.
"Employees working at this company are facing hazards, such as unguarded equipment, missing safety equipment, and unsafe noise levels," said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office. "These hazards put workers at risk of serious injury or death and must be addressed immediately."