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OSHA News Release
2005 - 04/04/2005 - OSHA Cites Covington, Ga., Manufacturer for Safety and Health Hazards |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 4 News Release Release Number: 05-506-ATL (63) Date: April 4, 2005 Contact: Keith Hass Jo Anne Burgoyne Phone: (770) 493-5412 (404) 562-2076 OSHA Cites Covington, Ga., Manufacturer for Safety and Health Hazards
Total Penalties Top $78,000 ATLANTA -- The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Leggett and Platt Inc. for exposing workers to serious safety and health hazards at its Covington manufacturing plant. The agency is proposing penalties totaling $78,500. "Based on this plant's lost workday injury and illness rates, we initiated safety and health inspections on Jan. 25," said Gei-Thae Breezley, OSHA's Atlanta-East area director. "Rates above the national industry average are a good indication that employees are being exposed to serious workplace hazards." OSHA issued 16 serious citations with proposed penalties of $48,500 for failing to have required safety and health programs for: respirators, confined spaces, hazard communication, fall protection and lockout-tagout procedures, which render machinery inoperable during maintenance and repair. Investigators also observed the lack of emergency eyewash and shower facilities for employees working with corrosive chemicals and several electrical hazards. The company also received three repeat citations with proposed penalties of $30,000 for failing to remove defective industrial trucks from service, lack of machine guarding and inappropriate use of compressed air. A repeat citation is issued when an employer has been cited previously for a substantially similar condition and the citation has become a final order of the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The company, which has locations nationwide, has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA's Atlanta-East area office located at LaVista Perimeter Office Park, Bldg. 7, Suite 110, Tucker, Ga.; phone: (770) 493-6644. Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. ###
U.S. Labor Department (DOL) releases are accessible on the Internet at <http://www.dol.gov>. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. DOL is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance. |
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