Foundries Feeling Pressure From OSHA To Comply

by Robert Box, Exclusive to Corridor News

OSHA continues its pressure on foundries to comply with required safety regulations with penalties and public shaming.  PCC Structurals-Groton, a steel-investment casting foundry in Hartford, Connecticut, was cited for twenty-seven safety and health violations for an initial penalty of $104,000.

Among the hazards identified during OSHA’s inspections:

Lack of hand, face and body protection for employees working on or near electrical equipment.

Exposed live electrical parts; misused electrical equipment and power cords; inadequate working space around electrical panelboards; and an ungrounded extension cord.

Unguarded points of operation of hydraulic presses.

Failure to inspect energy control procedures periodically to prevent the unintended startup of machinery during maintenance and cleaning.

No program to inspect chain alloy slings used to lift materials and equipment.

Lack of emergency eyewashes where employees worked with corrosive chemicals.

Inadequate safety glasses for employees working with chemicals.

Inadequately labeled containers of hazardous chemicals.

Flammable liquids not stored in closed containers; improper disposal of combustible waste.

Unsecured compressed gas cylinders.

Incompatible chemicals stored together in a cabinet.

Employees exposed to high noise levels not provided with a choice of hearing protection.

In Central Texas, OSHA has been focusing on foundry enforcement over the past couple of years.  Since January 2013, the Austin Area OSHA office has swept through 8 foundries and issued nearly $300,000 in initial penalties.

Alleged violations are stated as facts in OSHA news releases before they are proven to be true.  This is part of a public shaming strategy OSHA has employed during the Obama administration.  Even if the alleged violations are proven to be wrong, the initial citations and the public shaming news release will stay on OSHA’s website for everyone to see forever.

Local examples of OSHA’s public shaming strategy was highlighted in our article, “Texas Foundry Penalized $165,000 By OSHA.”

Safety First Consulting helps businesses identify OSHA compliance issues in their workplaces, manage their safety programs, and we become accountable for the results.  In addition to offering custom written safety programs for companies, Safety First Consulting provides required safety training, industrial hygiene sampling, noise sampling, and workplace inspections.