OSHA has filed 16 safety violations against a company in Warrior, AL, in connection with the death of a worker on Sept. 12, 2011.
Stella-Jones Corp., a manufacturer of railroad ties, faces $120,600 in fines.
Local news reports from last September say Shannon Sullins, 34, was killed when his left arm became trapped in machinery. Sullins was unable to escape when a portion of the machine lowered onto him while he was trapped. He suffered fatal injuries.
The coroner reported that a sign on the machine that killed Sullins said, “Do not operate machine while doors are open.” The news report said there were no doors on the machine because they were removed and stacked in a corner.
OSHA issued one willful violation for failing to install guards to prevent access to the rotating and moving parts of a machine used to drill holes into railroad ties.
Stella-Jones was also cited for 12 serious violations, including failure to:
- cover openings in the conveyor where employees could step into machinery
- provide machine guards on a conveyor and saw
- conduct inspections of energy control procedures
- develop lockout/tagout procedures to prevent unplanned energizing of the machine while it was being serviced, and
- evaluate the ability to respond to a rescue if needed.
The remaining three violations were classified as other-than-serious.
Due to the willful violation and the nature of the hazards, OSHA has placed Stella-Jones in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program which requires follow-up inspections.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to decide whether it wants to appeal.