Massachusetts manufacturer facing $110K OSHA fine

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Wyman Gordon Company for 29 alleged serious violations of safety standards at its Grafton, Mass., manufacturing plant.

The metal forgings manufacturer faces $109,500 in proposed fines following two OSHA inspections conducted between September 2008 and March 2009. OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.

The first inspection, conducted under OSHA's Site-Specific Targeting program, identified damaged support structures for overhead cranes; damaged support frames for large metal dies; slipping and tripping hazards; unguarded floors and platforms; missing access stairs; a damaged access ladder; non-functioning emergency exit lights; an overloaded fork truck; an overloaded lifting attachment; defective wire rope slings; unguarded machinery; improper storage of compressed gas cylinders and several electrical safety deficiencies.

OSHA began the second inspection in response to a December 23 accident in which two employees were injured when they were struck by a 700-pound forging that shot up in the air while they were attempting to free it from a malfunctioning die on a power press. OSHA cited Wyman Gordon for not developing procedures to prevent the build-up and release of hazardous energy generated by the press during the servicing.

"Each of these conditions must be addressed promptly, completely and effectively to prevent future accidents and injuries, and help ensure the safety and health of the plant's employees," said Mary Hoye, OSHA's area director for central and western Massachusetts.

Wyman Gordon has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source:
Reliable Plant.

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Electric shock sparks $10,000 fine

An electrical contractor has copped a $10,000 fine after a worker suffered an electric shock and was thrown backwards while working on a drilling rig in Eneabba.

The drilling contractor received the electric shock when a drilling rig mast came into contact with high voltage power lines on a site in the State's north in May 2006.

Earlier this week, Jeremy Paul Blakiston Fowler (who was then trading as Electro Power Services) was fined in the Perth Magistrate's Court after he pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the workplace was safe.

In May 2006, Western Power had contacted Outback Power Services to perform works and build a voltage regulator at Eneabba.

Electro Power Services had then been contracted by Outback Power to supervise drilling works to be performed by a drilling contractor.

On May 17, Mr Fowler and the drilling contractor were engaged in drilling holes with a drilling rig underneath power lines.

The position in which the drilling contractor chose to place the rig required him to raise the mast very close to the power lines.

In repositioning the rig, the left-hand outrigger was raised and the mast tilted towards the power lines.

The then mast touched the power lines and the drilling contractor received an electric shock and was thrown backwards from the drilling rig.

The court was told that no formal pre-start meeting had been held before the work started, and that the drilling contractor was not given any directions for the work - with the exception of where the holes were required to be placed.

Mr Fowler also had not checked whether the power lines were live.

The court ruled he was the person in control of the workplace, and was responsible for the drilling contractor's safety.

"Over the past five years, 17 Western Australians have died as a result of electrocution," WorkSafe WA commissioner Nina Lyhne said.

"Electricity is one of WorkSafe's operational priority areas, and a lot of time and resources are directed towards lessening the toll and educating people on how to work safely with electricity."

March 6, 2009

Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/electric-shock-sparks-10000-fine-20090305-8per.html

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Stone company fined after worker crushed to death

A Perth company has been fined $60,000 after one of its workers was crushed by a 217kg stone slab.

D'Amelio Stone, which imports and processes stone, and its director Nicola D'Amelio were handed the penalty after pleading guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court to failing to provide a safe working environment.

The charges arose from the death of the 43-year-old worker at the company's Wangara premises in March 2007. 

The man and a co-worker were trying to move the slab from a storage shed to a workshop with the help of a forklift when the accident happened.

The man held the slab vertically while his co-worker removed a slab behind it. It was usual practice at D'Amelio for workers to manually tilt the slabs while they were clamped and lifted by forklift.

However the slab fell towards the worker holding it, crushing him between it and other slabs in a rack behind him.

WorkSafe acting executive director John Innes said "it could not reasonably be considered" that D'Amelio engaged in safe work practices by having workers hold a 217kg slab upright manually.

The company later changed its work practices, but was aware of the way the slabs were moved and did nothing "until it was too late", Mr Innes said.

March 9, 2009

Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/stone-company-fined-after-worker-crushed-to-death-20090309-8sw7.html

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