Employees of Steel and Pipe Manufacturer Faced Laceration, Crushing Hazards
Pacemaker Steel & Piping Co. Inc. faces $45,500 in penalties as a result, according to OSHA.
An OSHA inspection found several hazardous conditions at a Pacemaker Steel & Piping Co. Inc. facility in Utica, N.Y., including laceration and amputation hazards from inadequately guarded saw blades and crushing hazards from damaged and unsecured storage racks that could fail and drop materials on employees and from struck by hazards caused by improperly loaded forklift attachments.
OSHA began the inspection on March 3, 2015, under its Site-Specific Targeting Program, which directs enforcement resources to high-hazard workplaces where the highest rates of injuries and illnesses occur.
The provider of steel, aluminum, and other metals and pipe faces proposed penalties of $45,500 for three repeat and four serious violations. "Left uncorrected, these hazards could cost employees their lives or their well-being. The fact that a number of these hazards are similar to those found during prior inspections shows that Pacemaker Steel must take additional and effective steps to adequately identify eliminate and prevent future hazards at all its locations," said Christopher Adams, OSHA's area director in Syracuse.
The inspection also identified an exit door blocked by snow and other deficiencies that could prevent employees from exiting the workplace swiftly and safely in the event of a fire and other emergencies; falls from a stairway that lacked a required safety railing; and slipping hazards from water on the shop floor, OSHA reported.