Chimney Supply Company Again Exposes Employees to Serious Hazards
The Scranton, Pa., company was cited for 14 safety violations.
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor, Olympia Chimney Supply Inc. employees have suffered crushed fingers, amputation of multiple fingertips and entire fingers. A June 2014 inspection by OSHA found Olympia workers were once again exposed to a number of serious machine hazards.
"Olympia's record reveals that employees have suffered more than 20 injuries in the past few years, including lacerations, crushed and pinched fingers, multiple fingertip amputations, and the amputation of several fingers,” said Mark Stelmack, director of OSHA's Wilkes-Barre Area Office. "This company must do a better job of protecting its employee from these serious, yet preventable, injuries."
OSHA inspectors found several machines at the facility were not guarded properly, and discovered deficiencies in the company's lockout/tagout program, which prevents inadvertent machine start-ups during maintenance. As a result, OSHA issued citations for 13 serious violations.