OSHA Identifies 44 Safety Violations at Houston Metal Refinisher
Allied Powder Coating faces a total of $338,094 in proposed penalties.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Jul 02, 2024
Following a recent investigation, OSHA uncovered 44 safety violations at Outdoor Furniture Refinishing Inc., operating as Allied Powder Coating in Houston. As a result, the agency has proposed penalties amounting to $338,094, citing numerous health hazards to its workers.
According to a recent release, OSHA inspectors in December 2023 identified 39 serious violations and five other-than-serious violations at Outdoor Furniture Refinishing. The company failed to implement necessary engineering controls and respiratory protection against exposure to hazardous substances such as triglycidyl isocyanurate, arsenic, cadmium, beryllium and lead.
Key violations included a failure to protect employees in powder-coating operations from inhalation hazards, lack of effective hearing conservation programs, inadequate maintenance of spray booths and improper use of respirators. The company also did not provide necessary changing rooms and showers for workers exposed to harmful substances, and it did not maintain essential electrical equipment or ensure proper dust exposure protocols.
The five other-than-serious violations pertained to inadequate evaluation and certification of forklift operators as well as the lack of accessible fire extinguishers.
“Outdoor Furniture Refinishing Inc. has a legal responsibility to ensure its employees have a safe work environment and must do better at understanding the hazards that exist in the work they do,” OSHA Area Director Larissa Ipsen in south Houston said in a statement. “Employers are required to know all dangers present in their workplace and… ensure workers are protected from immediate and long-term hazards.”
Outdoor Furniture Refinishing Inc. now 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 independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.