Legal News for Georgia Employment Attorneys. OSHA cited and fined Scovill Fasteners Inc. of Clarksville, Georgia $133,350 for 60 safety and health violations.
Georgia employment lawyer alert- OSHA inspectors cited Clarksville, Georgia manufacturer for 60 workplace safety violations, which could hinder employee safety.
Clarksville, GA—Scovill Fasteners Inc. of Clarksville, Georgia was cited with 60 safety and health violations, amounting to $133,350 in proposed penalties. The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) http://www.osha.gov announced the violations and fines on Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
In October 2009, OSHA was notified of a partial amputation of a worker’s finger at the manufacturer’s facility, subsequently prompting administration officials to conduct an inspection on the premises. Upon doing so, they found several safety violations, which could have potentially caused employees to suffer serious injuries or even death. Two inspections were conducted at the facility, which subsequently prompted OSHA officials to cite Scovill Fasteners with a total of 54 serious violations and six other-than-serious violations.
The first inspection revealed workplace safety violations such as unguarded mechanical power presses, which could pose a potential amputation hazard to employees. OSHA authorities also issued other citations for serious violations associated with “fall hazards, damaged storage racks, crane and overhead hoists exposing employees to struck-by hazards, lack of adequate lighting and signage for emergency egress and several electrical deficiencies”. In all, the company was cited with 40 serious safety violations, with a total of $99,050 in proposed penalties.
OSHA inspectors discovered 14 additional serious workplace safety violations with $34,300 in proposed penalties during their second visit to the facility. These citations were issued with regard to “abrasive blasting, noise overexposure, lack of noise training for employees, failing to address all the required elements in the emergency response plan, failing to provide an appropriate eye wash and shower station, failing to perform a personal protection equipment assessment, as well as deficiencies in the respiratory protection program and the permit required confined space program”.
The company was also cited with six other-than-serious safety and health violations, though they will not be fined in connection with these violations.
Once Scovill Fasteners has received notification of the citations, the company has 15 business days to accept the penalties, request an informal meeting with an OSHA area director, or contest the citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for Georgia Employment Lawyers.