OSHA Cites New York Cookie Manufacturer for Fall Hazards
Last month, OSHA cited Nonni’s Foods LLC for exposing employees to falls and other hazards at a New York Facility.
Like most products, there are real, living workers behind those delicious cookies in your pantry or on your counter. Last month, OSHA cited New York cookie manufacturer, Nonni’s Foods LLC, for exposing employees to fall hazards at the Ferndale, New York facility. The company is facing $221,257 in fines.
OSHA opened an inspection on August 22, 2019, after learning that an employee fell on August 7, 2019 and was hospitalized. Inspectors discovered that the employer instructed employees to retrieved stored material by standing on the forks of a forklift that elevated them to a storage area atop a break room. However, the storage area lacked guardrails to prevent falls.
Both conditions exposed employees to falls.
Additionally, Nonni’s Foods LLC also failed to retrain operators on appropriate use of a forklift, and did not report the employee’s injury to OSHA within 24 hours as required. Additionally, two rotating bearings on a conveyor lacked guarding to protect employees against caught-by injuries.
OSHA’s Fall Protection in General Industry fact sheet summarizes employee fall protection measures and the Powered Industrial Trucks page provides detailed information on hazards, safeguards, training and safe operation of forklifts. OSHA’s Safeguarding Equipment and Protecting Workers from Amputations booklet provide information on identifying and managing common amputation hazards when operating and using stationary equipment.
For more information, read
OSHA’s news release on the topic. Also, check out
Occupational Health & Safety Magazine’s
Fall Protection page for all your fall protection information.