Burrows Paper Cited for Repeat, Serious Safety Violations
Two workers were injured at the Franklin, Ohio, plant, according to OSHA.
According to a release from OSHA, two employees of Burrows Paper Corp. in Franklin, Ohio, were injured in separate incidents after the food box manufacturer failed to provide adequate machine guarding and implement energy-isolating procedures during servicing and maintenance. OSHA has issued two repeat and four serious safety violations to the company for allegedly exposing workers to amputation and struck-by hazards, and has proposed penalties totaling $58,800.
"It is inexcusable that the company continued to expose workers to these hazards, many among the 10 most frequently cited by OSHA. A corporation such as Burrows Paper should be well-versed in the safety requirements for operating machinery in its plants," said Bill Wilkerson, OSHA's area director in Cincinnati.
OSHA initially received a complaint on Feb. 18, 2014, after a worker was struck by a trolley car. This resulted in a leg injury that required hospitalization. OSHA then learned that another employee had her hand caught in the chain and sprockets of a packaging machine on March 13, 2014, resulting in a broken finger and missed work days.
After these findings, four serious violations were cited for lack of machine guarding, which enabled the first employee to be struck by the automated trolley, and lack of energy control procedures, such as physically shutting off devices prior to cleaning and setting up equipment and failing to affix lockout devices. Also, workers operating and maintaining the machinery were inadequately trained in safety procedures, according to OSHA.