Repeat Mechanical Hazards Penalize Severe Violator

Repeat Mechanical Hazards cause manufactures to be fined by OSHA.Repeat Mechanical Hazards were cited among 11 other safety violations at  Pyongsan America Inc. following a recent inspection in Auburn, Alabama by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These safety violations involved a lack of safety training for employees and a lack of proper machine implements for the prevention of machine operator injury, among other items. Pyongsan America Inc., a manufacturer of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning hoses for Hyundai, Kia, Chrysler, and General Motors, have been cited for several of the offenses for which they were charged with during the most recent inspection, before. As such, Pyongsan American Inc. is under consideration to be placed in OSHA’s Severe Violators Enforcement Program

The inspection was enacted in January 2016, as part of OSHA’s Regional Emphasis Program on Safety Hazards in the Auto Parts Industry. yielded charges for both Pyongsan American Inc. and Surge Staffing, a staffing agency which provided approximately 50 temporary employees to Pyongsan. Combined, the companies face $106,020 in penalties including repeat mechanical hazards.

Joseph Roesler, OSHA’s Mobile area director, said, “Pyongsan America continues to put workers, both permanent and temporary, at risk of serious injury or death by exposing them to serious workplace hazards. Employers must take responsibility for worker safety every day. They shouldn’t wait until an OSHA inspection or worse, when someone is hurt, to evaluate and correct workplace deficiencies.”

 

Repeated citations issued to Pyongsan America Inc. included:

  • Failure to develop and implement proper procedures to prevent machinery from starting-up during maintenance or servicing
  • Failure to conduct periodic inspections of energy control procedures
  • Failure to train employees performing work with hazardous energy sources
  • Failure to protect workers from crushing and amputation hazards, due to improper machine guarding

Serious citations issued to Surge included:

  • Failure to train employees
  • Failure to protect workers from crushing and amputation hazards

 

Mechanical hazards in the general industry workplace can be avoided and prevented through appropriate compliance and safety training.