Two co-owned trailer manufacturing companies in Texas face a combined $949,800 in OSHA fines following an investigation that was prompted by employee complaints.
PJ Trailers Manufacturing Co. and Delco Trailers Co. have received 46 OSHA citations: 7 willful, 9 repeat, 26 serious and 4 other-than-serious.
Employees complained to OSHA that they weren’t adequately protected from injuries caused by rotating machine parts and were exposed to toxic welding fumes and noise levels above approved standards.
The violations issued by OSHA include failure to:
- provide fall protection (willful)
- provide adequate machine guarding (willful)
- provide employees proper eye protection during cutting and welding operations (willful)
- establish and maintain a hearing testing program (willful)
- ensure spray booth areas were kept free from accumulated powder coating (repeat)
- ensure medical evaluations were completed to determine employees’ ability to use respirators (repeat)
- prevent exposure to welding fumes in excess of the average allowed during an eight-hour shift (serious), and
- enter recordable injuries and illnesses on the OSHA 300 log within seven calendar days and properly certify the OSHA 300A form (less-than-serious).
Since 2008, at least 15 workers have suffered eye injuries requiring medical treatment and/or days away from work.
PJ Trailers and Delco Trailers had been cited previously by OSHA for many of the same hazards found during the most recent inspection. The companies had certified that they fixed the hazards, but many of the fixes were later abandoned to accommodate production.
The companies have 15 business days from receipt of the citations to decide whether to appeal.
