NH Furniture Manufacturer Cited for One Willful, 36 Serious Violations After Employee Injury
OSHA has cited DCI Inc. for 37 violations of workplace safety and health standards, including one willful and 36 serious violations, at its Lisbon, N.H., manufacturing plant. The proposed penalties total $378,488.
OSHA has cited DCI Inc. for exposing workers to crushing and struck-by hazards at its manufacturing plant in Lisbon, New Hampshire. The furniture manufacturer faces a total of $378,488 in penalties for 37 violations of health and safety standards at the facility.
OSHA opened an inspection following serious injuries suffered by an employee after being pulled into an automatic woodcutting machine. OSHA inspectors found that a supervisor had disabled a light curtain on the machine, keeping the machine from stopping when a person comes too close to its point of operation. DCI was cited for a willful violation for this hazard.
"Worker safety must always be an employer's priority," OSHA Concord Area Office Director Rosemarie O. Cole said. "Proactively addressing hazards achieves this goal."
Concurrent, comprehensive OSHA inspections identified other violations throughout the facility, including obstructed emergency exit routes, lack of protection for eyes, hands, and face, inadequate hearing and respirator safeguards, lack of protocol and training to prevent the unintentional activation of machinery, amputation and laceration hazards, flammable and toxic hazards, untrained forklift operations, and electrical hazards.
DCI has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.