The chemical in this case was anhydrous ammonia, which is used in the plant's refrigeration system.
The investigation found that platforms were not properly guarded, emergency escape lines were kinked, and eye wash stations did not function properly, among other hazards.
In addition, the report reflects how the nation has made significant progress addressing opportunities for improvement identified after events such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Child hyperthermia deaths in vehicles typically rise this month, and the annual Click It or Ticket campaign opens around the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030, road traffic injuries will have become the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.
Research reveals that intimate partner violence resulted in 142 homicides among women at work in the U.S. from 2003 to 2008, a figure which represents 22 percent of the 648 workplace homicides among women during the period.
The report includes state-by-state profiles of workers’ safety and health and features state and national information on workplace fatalities, injuries, illnesses, the number and frequency of workplace inspections, and more.
OSHA issued citations as the result of an inspection conducted after a 19-year-old worker died when an unprotected trench collapsed at a Wisconsin job site. Proposed fines total $137,000.
OSHA opened an inspection in February after nine employees were sent to the hospital as the result of being exposed to chlorine gas, which occurred when incompatible chemicals were mixed together.
Speeding was a contributing factor in eight percent of all reported large truck crashes in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As a result of an investigation, which revealed that staff members at the facility had been assaulted numerous times, OSHA has cited the employer for a serious violation of the agency's "general duty clause" for failing to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause serious injury or death.
A majority of infection preventionists reported an increase in surveillance, education, and prevention efforts for health care-associated infections targeted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services policy.
The violations are failing to develop energy control procedures, provide machine guarding, and effectively train employees on recognizing hazardous energy and taking safety precautions.
The fire, which started in the pellet mill, was transported through several conveying systems to a pellet cooler and then to a dust collector, and caused several other flash fires.
When the energy company holds its annual meeting May 30, the sixth shareholder proposal would require the corporation’s board to prepare a report on steps taken to reduce the risk of accidents.
"This inspection has identified violations that involve possible amputations by unguarded equipment and electrical shock dangers," said Andre Richards, director of OSHA's Atlanta-West Area Office.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010 there were more than 10,000 construction workers in the private construction industry who were injured as a result of falling while working from heights on the job and another 255 workers were killed.
When a worker explained that he could not cut his hair because of his religion, the company told him that unless he cut his hair, he could no longer continue to work at its Taco Bell restaurant.
Eleven serious health violations, with $43,400 in fines, involve workers' exposure to hexavalent chromium and silica, both of which can cause irreversible health problems.
The inspection was initiated as part of OSHA's National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation. Proposed penalties total $45,000.