Tag Manufacturing in Chattanooga, Tennessee, just across the border from Georgia, is a metal fabrication plant. The company makes steel parts for construction equipment including loader buckets, excavator rakes and the spiked forks used on forklifts.
]]> State Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials have already launched an investigation into the matter, which showed no evidence of foul play, according to initial reports. A full investigative report will be issued in six to eight months, according to TOSHA officials, and it will contain information about the circumstances and causes of the accident.The president of the company expressed his sincere condolences to the man's family, saying the company is committed to identifying and fixing the cause of the accident. A wrongful death suit will likely be filed by the family as a result from the incident, which may have been caused by employer negligence or systematic mechanical failure.
Tag Manufacturing, which has been in operation since 2005, was previously investigated for safety problems before as a result of a 2007 employee complaint. That case, though, was closed in 2008 without any fines being issued to the company.
Metal fabrication is a relatively dangerous occupation throughout the nation with about 50 deaths annually related to the process. That makes up about 1 percent of the nation's workplace fatalities, according to 2010 statistics.
Bureau of Labor information indicates that during that same year, about 140 workers in Tennessee and 80 in Georgia were killed at work.
Source: Times Free Press, "Worker killed in Tag manufacturing plant in Chattanooga," Kate Harrison, May 9, 2012
]]>The company, Nance Carpet and Rug, was cited for failing to create and utilize an effective lockout/tagout program to prevent employees from activating equipment that has been turned off for maintenance.
]]> Lockout/tagout procedures provide a medium for safe communication between employees, and they also implement a series of safeguards to ensure that electrical equipment is not turned on while a worker is performing maintenance. Injuries that result from lockout/tagout failures can include electrical burns, electrocution, crush injuries, lacerations and a wide variety of other problems.In addition, the company allowed a damaged forklift to be used by employees, and failed to ensure that machines had adequate guards.
Machine guards prevent workers from injury by keeping their hands, clothing and hair from being sucked into a machine. Guards were missing from blades, cutting heads, wheels, chains, belts and pulleys, according to the OSHA report.
All of the citations resulted from serious violations, which occur when a company allows a dangerous condition to persist despite knowing about it, or when a company should have known about the hazard.
The company had come under investigation after an employee submitted a complaint in late 2011.
OSHA inspectors said that the company had waited too long to address safety problems, relying upon government inspectors to root out physical dangers at the plant. Government officials say that companies ought to take a more pro-active approach by assessing hazards themselves. Essentially, preventive systems can save a lot of money and effort by protecting workers.
The company employs about 50 workers in its Calhoun plant. It must comply with the OSHA-mandated requirements within 15 days of the citations or face additional sanctions.
Source: United States Department of Labor, "US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Nance Carpet and Rug in Calhoun, Ga., for exposing employees to amputation and electrical shock hazards," April 26, 2012
]]>A construction company in Cumming has been cited for six safety violations after occupational health inspectors found numerous problems at a residential worksite in the town. The company faces more than $66,000 in fines for the workplace safety violations.
]]> According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports, the company was cited for a willful violation for permitting workers to go about their duties without using fall protection. The violation falls into the "willful" category because the company has been cited for the same problems three times since 2006.A worker for the company fell to his death in 2007 after failing to use fall protection. As a result of that accident, company employees were required to attend additional safety training to guarantee safe work practices. Fines associated with the willful violation amount to more than $40,000 of the total fine levied against the firm during this most recent inspection.
Similarly, another violation deals with the failure of the company to provide adequate fall protection training to its employees. That same standard was violated in 2007, which puts this citation in the "repeat" category. Repeated violations happen when an employer has received a citation for the same problem at any work location within the past five years.
In addition to the fall protection problems, OSHA inspectors found that employees were not properly using hard hats. Managers also failed to ensure that electrical equipment was safe to use, and some equipment appeared to have been altered to circumvent safety measures such as machine guards. The company had also failed to develop a comprehensive safety training program to guarantee that employees understood safe work practices. All of these problems counted as serious violations, which occur when an employer is, or should be, aware that a significant safety hazard exists, yet fails to fix the situation.
The company must comply with the remedy recommendations within 15 days after leaders were notified of the violations.
Source: Department of Labor, "US Department of Labor's OSHA cites contractor for exposing workers to fall, other hazards at Cumming, Ga., work site," Michael D'Aquino and Michael Wald, April 25, 2012
]]>The surviving spouse or dependent children of a worker killed while on-the-job may be entitled to workers' compensation death benefits; as may be the case for one worker who was recently killed while working on a shredder at an aluminum plant.
]]> According to reports, the accident happened when the man fell, or was pulled into, an aluminum shredder.Investigators said they are not sure why the man chose to approach the shredder, a dangerous piece of equipment. State occupational health and safety authorities visited the plant immediately following the accident, clearing the plant to re-open the piece of equipment by noon.
The plant has remained in the clear during multiple previous safety inspections, including those held in September 2011 and another in November 2008. The company had not received any violations as a result of those inspections. The incident on Thursday constituted the plant's first fatality, as corroborated by OSHA records.
A variety of other industries utilize aluminum scrap shredders, including alloy plants and metal fabrication units. The machines have proven particularly dangerous in the past, as illustrated by a 2008 incident in which a Minnesota man was permanently disabled after an aluminum scrap shredder exploded in his work area.
Explosions of similar equipment have led to serious burns from molten metal, as well. Other companies contend that the aluminum and metal fabrication industries are simply more dangerous than other work environments, despite recent technological advances that improve safety in plants throughout the nation.
In addition to mechanical hazards, aluminum shredding and reheating also presents a variety of chemical and emissions exposure opportunities, both of which could be hazardous to employees if they are improperly attired.
Source: The Tennessean, "Mt. Pleasant worker at aluminum processor killed in shredder accident," Andy Humbles, April 13, 2012
]]>The vehicle's driver apparently had caused a fatal workplace accident when he collided with the H.E.R.O. driver, who was helping a stranded motorist as a part of his job duties.
]]> The emergency worker had traveled to I-85, south of downtown Atlanta, to aid a disabled motorist alongside the road. As the man was assisting that motorist, his truck was struck by the driver in question, who was operating a pickup truck with a trailer attached. The 45-year-old worker was killed in the line of duty, the first H.E.R.O. driver fatality since the unit was created in 1994.The victim had been employed with GDOT for three years and he is survived by four children and his wife.
The judge in the case said that if the man had been intoxicated or driving recklessly, jail time would have been a given. Instead, he called the crash an unfortunate accident and told courtroom observers that the man deserved a measure of leniency. The victim's widow said she was disappointed with the verdict after it had been read. She says that the verdict is an insult to the law enforcement and emergency services community. The man's mother expressed a similar sentiment.
In response to the accident, the General Assembly passed an initiative that now requires motorists to move over a full lane as they are passing emergency services vehicles.
Family members say they plan to file a civil suit against the man and the construction company that employed him. The convicted man refused to comment on the case, though his lawyer said he was remorseful about the accident.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "No jail for truck driver who killed HERO," Marcus K. Garner, April 9, 2012
]]>The company received two repeat citations, each of which carries a $70,000 fine.
]]> Untrained workers were reportedly permitted to make adjustments and assist with repairs of conveyor belts. Also, conveyor belts were operated without protective machine guards, which provide a shield from flying debris and metal shards. Repeat offenses occur when an employer has been cited twice for the same violation within a series of five years. Those offenses could occur at any facility owned and operated by the same group.The company had received similar fines at its Braselton plant during a 2007 OSHA inspection. A January 2012 inspection also yielded eight more violations, netting more than $140,000 in fines at that location.
In addition to the repeat offenses, the company was found to be responsible for eight serious violations, prompting fines of more than $40,000. Workers were not adequately trained to use anhydrous ammonia and they were also uneducated about hazardous materials handling procedures. Furthermore, lockout/tag out precautions had not been instituted, which would protect workers from injury when electrically powered machines are being serviced. A number of electrical violations were also discovered, including damaged wiring, improperly placed control panels and improperly placed electrical sockets. Finally, the employer was cited for a fall hazard because a rooftop area was not equipped with adequate guardrails.
The serious violations were issued because the employer knew, or should have known, about the significant risk of injury or death resulting from the hazards' presence.
Source: OSHA, "US Labor Department's OSHA cites poultry processor KD Acquisition for 11 safety violations at Gainesville, Ga., plant; proposes more than $187,000 in fines," Michael D'Aquino, March 27, 2012
]]>The fatal workplace accident happened when a forklift collided with a member of the International Longshoremen's Association Local 1475. Tragically, her 29-year-old son, who also works at the dock, saw the accident happen.
]]> According to investigators, the accident happened at Berth 13 at Georgia Ports. Workers were in the process of unloading cargo from the Arietta, a 590-foot bulk carrier. The ship had arrived from Wilmington, North Carolina at about midnight of March 27.The unloading process stopped immediately following the accident. Work on the ship reportedly had not resumed as of mid-afternoon on March 28.
The woman's son reports that she was retired from the U.S. Postal Service. She became a full-time member of the International Longshoremen's Association about a year ago, he said. Prior to that, she worked part time for the Local 1475 as a clerk and checker.
Ports America, a stevedore company, was responsible for the dock work on the Arietta. The company's officials released a statement saying they regret the accident and they offer their sympathies to the woman and her family. Company officials also say they remain committed to workplace safety.
Investigators from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration are on-site to examine the scene. They are investigating the events leading up to the woman's death at the edge of the Arietta.
Source: The Savannah Morning News, "Update: ILA worker killed in accident identified," Mary Carr Mayle and Constance Cooper, March 28, 2012
]]>A 68-year-old Dawson, Georgia worker was injured during a construction accident earlier this month when a dump truck slammed into him at a construction site in Decatur County. The man's accident injuries were not fatal, but he suffered what police describe as an incapacitating injury to his shoulder.
]]> According to reports from the Georgia State Patrol, the construction accident occurred shortly after 4 p.m. on a bridge over Spring Creek to the east of the Decatur County and Seminole County dividing line. The construction worker had apparently stopped traffic in the southbound lane of Georgia Highway 253 to mark the road with paint.The police report notes that the man was dressed appropriately in a reflective safety vest. However, the construction company the man worked for did not employ a flag man or put out warning signs further down the road to prepare motorists to stop.
As the man was marking the road with paint, a 32-year-old Attapulgus, Georgia man was traveling south on Georgia Highway 253 in a dump truck belonging to Circle B Construction. According to the trooper investigating the incident, the dump truck driver was unable to see that traffic was stopped because of a curve in the road.
As the man rounded the curve, he swerved into the northbound lane to avoid hitting the stopped vehicles. As he traveled through the curve, his vehicle struck the 68-year-old construction worker and threw him to the road.
A helicopter transported the construction worker to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. A hospital spokesperson reported the man was in good condition two days after the accident.
Source: The Post-Searchlight, "Worker hit by dump truck recovering," Brennan Leathers, March 15, 2012
]]>Employees who are obese and file a workers' compensation claim typically take longer to heal, have higher medical costs and are more likely to file for permanent disability than co-workers with similar injuries who are at a healthy weight, research shows.
]]> In addition, weight-related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and stroke can make it more difficult for injured workers to recover to the fullest extent possible.Sometimes, doctors recommend companies pay for injured workers to participate in weight-loss programs or have gastric bypass surgery to help their recovery process. Unfortunately, such activities prolong the amount of time workers are out of work following a workplace injury.
A workers' compensation manager for an aviation company that operates in 38 states says she is seeing more and more claims linked to obesity. In one case, a worker who tipped the scale at more than 300 pounds sprained an ankle. Although the company gave him light-duty jobs, he still had not reached maximum medical improvement after seven months.
A vice president for risk management at another company says he is seeing an increasing number of employees who need knee replacement surgery because of their weight.
Duke University first looked at the growing cost of obesity in the workplace in 2007. Researchers found medical costs for obese workers injured on the job were seven times higher than the costs for employees at a healthy weight. Researchers also determined overweight workers filed twice as many workers' comp claims and spent 13 more days out of work than their counterparts.
Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc. says about 28 percent of the workers' compensation claims it handles are filed by employees who are overweight or obese. However, when the company looks at the six most costly injuries, overweight claimants file 46 percent of claims.
Source: Workplace, "Obesity Problems Weigh on Worker's Comp," Roberto Ceniceros, March 8, 2012
]]>The fatal workplace accident took place in Harlem, Georgia, at a pecan processing plant. According to the Columbia County Coroner, a 2-inch pipe hit the Appling, Georgia man in the side of his head and killed him.
]]> The Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab performed an autopsy on the man's body. On March 3, the lab confirmed the impact from the pipe caused the man's death.An investigator for the Columbia County Sheriff's Department says contract workers were attempting to install a new air compressor at the Tracy-Luckey plant, when the machine began to leak. The 70-year-old plant manager was apparently watching the process.
When the machinery failure occurred, a safety officer warned the bystanders to move away from the faulty compressor. According to the investigator, the 70-year-old man and the contractors had just turned to walk away when the pipe blew off and hit the elderly man.
Officials at the plant say they consider the man a family member and they are shocked by his death. The man graduated from Harlem High School and had worked at the plant for 53 years. The Harlem mayor says he believes the man has never worked anywhere other than the pecan plant.
A member of the Harlem City Council says everyone in town knew the man, who was always quick with a wave. The council member adds that he never heard the man speak poorly about anyone. "You don't find people like him much anymore," he says.
Compliance officers from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the accident. If Tracy-Luckey was in violation of OSHA standards, the company could face fines, according to the regional director for public affairs for the U.S. Department of Labor. The investigation is expected to take several weeks.
Source: The Columbia County News-Times, "Tracy-Luckey accident kills longtime employee," Scott Rouch and Valerie Rowell, March 2, 2012
Source: The Columbia County News-Times, "Investigation continues into Tracy-Luckey pecan processing plant manager's death," Valerie Rowell, March 5, 2012
]]>OSHA inspectors found combustible dust accumulating in the plant, a serious violation. According to OSHA documents, serious safety violations occur when the employer ignores a known safety hazard, and there is a good chance that it could seriously injure or kill a worker.
]]> During the September inspection, OSHA employees also found 19 other serious violations. The company failed to set up lockout/tagout procedures for energy sources, and did not do enough to protect workers from having limbs amputated by the machinery. The company also could have done more to prevent workers from falling.OSHA alleges AGrowStar did not have a housekeeping system for areas where soybeans, wheat and corn were stored, and did not require employees to test the atmospheric conditions before entering the silos.
AGrowStar also failed to provide proper training for many of its employees, OSHA claims. Industrial truck operators did not get the training they needed, and employees whose jobs put them at risk of being in a fire or explosion did not get annual training.
The company also failed to get a proper permit before workers entered a small space to perform maintenance, and did not properly install or repair electrical equipment, OSHA says.
AGrowStar's other serious violations including failing to develop an emergency action plan and failing to list chemicals used by the company in the hazard communication program.
In addition to the serious violations, OSHA inspectors found two other-than-serious violations during their inspection. They included failing to maintain proper certification when workers inspected storage and grain moving equipment, and failing to implement a program for workers who have to wear respirators.
Source: Occupational Safety and Health and Administration, "Georgia's AGrowStar cited by US Department of Labor's OSHA for combustible dust and other hazards; more than $74,000 in fines proposed," Michael D'Aquino and Michael Wald, Feb. 29, 2012
]]>The study found that even in a dangerous occupation, the company's management and organizational factors make a significant difference in the number of on-the-job injuries.
]]> The authors looked at 1,525 workers from a wide range of occupations including office workers and factory workers. They examined the workers' risk of injury and compared it to socio-demographic factors, employment characteristics and organizational factors.The University of Georgia study was one of the first to examine organizational factors while looking at a diverse group of occupations. Their results suggest organizational factors have a similar influence across all occupations.
Risk factors for workplace injuries include work-family interferences, race, and occupational category. Companies with a safety climate and effective organizational structure are less likely than companies without a safety climate to have injured workers.
The researchers found that if workers perceive workplace safety to be a priority, injuries decrease by 32 percent. Companies that operate in an efficient manner with limited constraints on workers also see fewer injuries as the opinions of the workers improve.
The authors of the study say the findings put pressure on managers to create a positive safety environment. In addition to developing formal safety policies, managers must make it clear to workers that safety guidelines are important and need to be followed.
The study also found that work-life balance plays a critical role in workplace safety. The risk of injury increased 37 percent when a worker's job was affecting family life, or when a situation at home was interfering with a worker's job performance.
The researchers also looked at the ethnic background of workers. They found that workers in the "other" category, which consisted mostly of Hispanics, were most likely to be injured at work. Caucasian workers were more likely to be injured than African American employees.
Source: The Athens Banner-Herald, "Perception, work-life balance key factors in workplace safety, says UGA study," Public Affairs, Feb. 20, 2012
]]>OSHA also placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program and proposed $182,000 in fines. OSHA alleges the company was aware that workers risked serious injuries including amputation while cleaning conveyor equipment, but did nothing to protect them.
]]> Publix is a privately owned company with 1,026 supermarkets in five states including Georgia. OSHA began investigating the company in September 2011 after the amputation incident.OSHA investigators found the company willfully failed to use proper procedures to control "potentially hazardous energy when employees service or clean equipment." OSHA proposed a $70,000 sanction for the willful safety violation. A willful violation takes place when an employer knowingly disregards worker safety.
OSHA also hit Publix with two repeat violations for failing to develop and use a "lockout/tagout" procedure, and for not doing an annual inspection of energy control procedures. Publix was cited in April 2008 for the same violations at its Dacula, Georgia, location. OSHA proposed a $66,000 fine for the pair of repeat violations.
The company also had six serious violations with a proposed fine of $39,400. The serious violations included failing to train employees on lockout/tagout procedures for machine energy sources, failing to install protective guards on equipment and failing to anchor equipment to the floor properly.
Other serious violations included failing to repair damaged electrical equipment, failing to use appropriate electrical outlets in wet locations and using electrical receptacles without weatherproof enclosures.
Finally, OSHA found seven other-than-serious violations, which included failing to complete an OSHA log for four years and failing to have a company executive sign the log for two years. The agency plans to fine Publix $6,600 for the other-than-serious violations.
Publix has 15 business days to decide if it will accept the penalties or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Source: Occupational Safety and Health and Administration, "Publix Supermarkets cited by US Department of Labor's OSHA for willful and repeat violations following amputation of employee's hand," Michael D'Aquino and Michael Wald, Feb. 15, 2012
]]>Fourteen workers were killed in the workplace accident as a result of the Feb. 7, 2008, explosion. A build-up of combustible dust is blamed for the eruption and subsequent fire. Workers say the dust was sometimes up to their knees.
]]> Numerous additional employees had serious injuries following the blast. Some survived burns that covered up to 80 percent of their bodies. Victims and their survivors filed more than 40 lawsuits. Many are still pending.In July 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reached a settlement with Imperial Sugar. Imperial Sugar paid $4 million in fines for alleged safety violations at the Port Wentworth facility. It also paid $2 million in fines for violations at a second Imperial plant in Gramercy, Louisiana.
Federal investigations found that Imperial Sugar executives knew for years there was a build-up of combustible dust at the Port Wentworth plant, but did nothing to correct the problem.
Imperial Sugar did not admit wrongdoing, but did not contest 124 citations at the Fort Wentworth plant. OSHA categorized most of the safety violations as willful.
As recently as February 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor's top lawyer says the Justice Department may prosecute top executives at the company.
Employers who willfully violate an OSHA rule can face up to six months in prison if the violation results in the death of an employee. Individuals can also be fined up to $250,000 and companies up to $500,000, according to federal law.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board also investigated the accident and continues to urge OSHA to adopt stricter dust safety standards.
Source: Savannah Morning News, "'People still suffering' four years after Imperial Sugar disaster," Larry Peterson, Feb. 7, 2012
]]>The construction accident occurred about 8:00 a.m. when electricity from a high voltage panel arched and started a fire on the plant's east side. The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes.
]]> The sheriff says both men injured in the incident suffered electrical burns. Emergency workers transported them to a local hospital. They were later taken to another hospital that had a burn unit within the facility.The sheriff says he estimates the men were hit with 440-volts of electricity. Both men work for Fagen Inc., a Minnesota-based company. Southern Power, located in Texas, hired the company to construct and engineer the power plant.
The sheriff says Fagen employees handled the emergency situation well. Workers killed the power immediately to minimize the risk to others. Other employees administered first aid to the two men until emergency responders arrived at the scene.
The company decided to send all of the other employees home, following the incident, as a precaution. The president of the company says the incident does not pose a threat to the overall power plant. The company's protocol is to close the construction site until the incident can be investigated.
The president says staff members from the Fagen corporate offices have already begun their investigation. He says once the investigation is completed, the company will determine when workers can return to the construction site. The safety of the company's employees is of "upmost importance," he says.
Source: Jacksonville Daily Progress, "Two injured at Fagen plant Tuesday morning," Faith Harper, Jan. 31, 2012.
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