Albion Mill Safety Violations Cited

Albion Mill in Pennsylvania Was Cited for Multiple Safety Violations in a recent OSHA Inspection.The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to Pennsylvania-based feed mill operators, Albion Mill. The citations issued for the most recent February 10th inspection, some of which being repeat offenses, were as a follow-up to a pair of previous inspections, conducted in July and August of 2013, respectively. OSHA Erie Area director, Theresa A. Naim, said, “Our follow-up inspection at Albion Mill found (that) employees continue to be exposed to severe combustible dust issues. In some areas, six inches, or more, of dust had accumulated, creating a dangerous risk of explosion. This company had ample opportunity, time, and guidance to correct the hazardous conditions but chose business-as-usual, by disregarding the safety of its employees.”

The total proposed penalty for the Albion Mill citations in the 2016 inspection is, $195,460.

The respective classification of those citations, processed in the recent 2016 inspection, were:

·      (5) willful

·      (12) serious

·      (1) other-than-serious

·      (9) repeat violations

Willful violations for Albion Mill included:

·      Employees without proper safety equipment

·      Lack of proper guarding for belts, pulleys, and shafts

·      Failure to develop/implement a housekeeping program to prevent combustible dust hazards

·      Lack of inspection and service records

Repeat violations included:

·      Lack of proper fire extinguisher training

·      An unguarded, 28-inch deep pit

·      Electrical hazards

·      Lack of proper chemical hazard training

·      No written and implemented hazard communication program

·      Lack of properly established lockout/tagout procedure

The serious violations included:

·      Lack of properly established lockout/tagout procedure

·      Unguarded machine parts

·      Use of damaged equipment

·      Employee exposure to fall hazards

·      Improper storage of propane cylinders

·      Employees lacking proper permit/certification for entry to grain-handling bin

·      Lack of proper engulfment hazard training

Combustion is a serious concern for both the employer and employee dealing with potentially hazardous chemicals. There are a variety of training and certification courses offered that assist in proper training on compliance for the general industry workplace. Furthermore, training for otherwise avoidable repeat citations for issues like fire-extinguisher training is also available. Consider an OSHA-approved training course, today.