A Wisconsin hardwood flooring manufacturer is in hot water with federal OSHA for a variety of safety and health violations found during an inspection under a national emphasis program for amputation hazards.
The agency also opened a health inspection at the facility, finding a number of problems with the company’s hearing conservation program as well as a lack of training regarding hazardous chemicals in the workplace.
OSHA found a total of 38 violations ranging from inadequate lockout/tagout and PPE policies to various forklift and electrical hazards.
Fine: $269,662
Company: WD Flooring LLC, Laona, Wisconsin
Business: Other millwork, including flooring
Reasons for fine:
Four repeat violations for failing to:
- ensure that employees sustaining standard threshold shifts of hearing have their hearing protectors refitted and are retrained in the use of hearing protection
- train employees exposed to noise hazards on how to protect their hearing
- perform periodic inspections of energy control procedures
- use guarding to protect employees from machine hazards
28 serious violations for failing to:
- provide hearing protection and give employees the opportunity to select from a variety of hearing protectors
- ensure proper initial fitting and supervise the correct use of earplugs
- develop a hazard communication program for hazardous chemicals used in the workplace
- make safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical present in the workplace readily accessible to employees
- inform employees of hazardous chemicals in work areas and the location of safety data sheets
- provide training on how to detect chemical hazards
- provide a safe means of access and egress on walking-working surfaces
- protect the sides and edges of working platforms 4 feet or more above lower levels
- ensure that employees used protective footwear when working around lumber
- clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules and techniques to be used for the control of hazardous energy
- ensure that authorized employees received training to recognize hazardous energy sources
- ensure that authorized employees properly followed the steps of the lockout/tagout procedure (seven separate violations)
- prevent forklift operators from driving with their forks in a raised position
- take defective forklifts out of service until they were repaired
- guard feeder attachments
- protect feed rolls and saws
- properly guard roll-type glue spreaders
- provide suitable guards and exhaust hoods on woodworking machines
- encase exposed parts of horizontal shafts 7 feet or less from working platforms
- enclose sprockets and chains 7 feet or less from working platforms
- keep conductors entering electrical cabinets from becoming damaged
- prevent flexible cords from being used as a substitute for fixed wiring
Six other-than serious violations for failing to:
- properly evaluate hearing protectors
- consult the manufacturer before adding fork extensions to a forklift
- have a legible nameplate with the lift capacity on a forklift with the forks that were attached
- guard pulleys that were 7 feet or less from a work platform
- enclose vertical and inclined belts
- record a workplace injury on the OSHA 300 Log for calendar year 2023
