An Ohio aluminum parts manufacturer with a history of safety violations is facing a $1.7 million OSHA fine after a fatal incident at its Ravenna plant.
The fine follows an investigation into the death of a 43-year-old worker who was struck and killed March 30 by a machine’s barrier door.
As he was attempting to load the machine, the door closed on the worker’s head, according to an OSHA news release.
OSHA claims the company allowed employees to bypass guard mechanisms in the door that prevented it from closing on them and that a malfunction in the door’s optic control existed before the fatality.
Multiple willful, repeat and serious violations resulted from the investigation and two others opened from employee complaints inspectors received while at the plant.
The company previously signed a formal settlement agreement to resolve machine guarding and lockout/tagout violations found during inspections conducted between 2015 and 2017.
Audits conducted by a third-party consultant between 2017 and 2019 “identified specific machine guarding and lockout/tagout program deficiencies and provided recommendations that the company failed to fully implement.”
After the latest violations, OSHA placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
Fine: $1,671,738
Company: General Aluminum Manufacturing Company, Cleveland
Business: Aluminum foundry
Reasons for fine:
17 willful violations for failure to:
- provide one or more methods of adequate machine guarding (14 separate violations)
- ensure employees are protected against crushing hazards because employees must place parts of their body inside machines
- develop procedures for control of potentially hazardous energy
- cover all actions required in lockout/tagout procedures
Four repeat violations for failure to:
- use procedures for control of potentially hazardous energy
- cover all required procedures for application of energy control
- guard points of operation of machinery
- provide one or more methods of adequate machine guarding
16 serious violations, including failure to:
- ensure employees used protective footwear where required
- train employees in recognition of hazardous energy sources, types of energy in the workplace and methods for energy isolation
- complete compilation of written process safety information pertaining to equipment in the process
- perform initial process hazard analysis
- develop written operating procedures providing clear instructions for safely conducting activities in covered processes
- ascertain whether or not employees involved in operating processes understood what they learned
- establish written procedures to maintain ongoing integrity of process equipment
- establish written procedures to manage changes to process chemicals, technology, equipment and procedures
- establish emergency action plans
- develop emergency response plans
- provide statements on competency of employees
- provide employment free from recognized burn hazards that could result in death or serious physical harm
- ensure PPE was worn when necessary
