The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited HE&M Inc., a Pryor, Okla.-based metalworking band saw manufacturer, for exposing employees to electrical, fall, machine guarding, and struck-by hazards. HE&M faces penalties totaling $187,533.
OSHA initiated a safety inspection of the facility after the company submitted OSHA 300A injury and illness information that showed a higher-than-average injury rate. The inspection identified 19 serious violations and one other-than-serious violation.
“Employers are legally obligated to address hazards immediately, as well as identify and correct injury hazards in their facility,” said OSHA Area Director Steven Kirby, in Oklahoma City.
Failure to affix lockout/tagout devices to each energy isolating devices; using pendant boxes at the end of flexible cords; failure to ensure electrical panels are equipped with markings giving voltage, current wattage, or other ratings; failure to effectively close unused openings in cabinets, boxes, and fittings; using flexible cords and/or cables as a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure; and running flexible cords and/or cables through walls, ceilings, or floors were among the serious electrical violations found at the facility.
HE&M has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
