Site Inspection Goes 'Sauer,' OSHA Serves $41,400 Fine
OSHA has cited Great Lakes Sauerkraut Co. LLC with $41,400 in proposed fines following inspections conducted under OSHA's Site Specific Targeting Plan. The agency cited the Shortsville, N.Y., sauerkraut maker with 16 alleged serious violations of safety and health standards at its manufacturing facility.
Specifically, OSHA's inspection found numerous instances of moving machine parts not guarded against accidental employee contact; lack of a hazardous energy control program, training, and equipment to prevent the accidental startup of machinery; unguarded live electrical parts; improper storage of compressed gas cylinders; and fall hazards stemming from a lack of fall protection, inadequate ladder safety, uncovered floor openings, and unguarded open-sided work platforms and stairways.
Additional hazards included the lack of a confined space training program for employees whose duties involve entering sauerkraut tanks; lack of a hearing conservation program for employees exposed to excessive noise levels; and lack of training in fire extinguisher use and hazards associated with incipient stage fire fighting.
"These citations encompass a cross-section of mechanical, electrical, fall, noise, confined space, and other hazards that should have been addressed prior to the inspection," said Christopher Adams, OSHA's area director in Syracuse, N.Y., the office that conducted the inspections.
OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply or contest them to the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.