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U.S. Department of Labor | |
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| Occupational Safety & Health Administration | ||||||
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OSHA News Release
2003 - 11/07/2003 - Crushing Accident and Other Hazards Lead to $153,500 in Fines for Wyman Gordon's North Grafton, Mass., Plant |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 1 BOS 2003-303/ 03-633-BOS Friday, November 7, 2003 Contact: Ted Fitzgerald Phone: (617) 565-2074 Crushing Accident and Other Hazards Lead to $153,500 in Fines for Wyman Gordon's North Grafton, Mass., Plant SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- A North Grafton, Mass., forge manufacturer's failure to protect workers against crushing, machine guarding, electrical and other hazards has resulted in $153,500 in fines from the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Wyman Gordon Company has been cited for a total of 25 alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act following an inspection prompted by a May 5 accident in which the operator of a large metal-cutting bandsaw had both feet crushed by a 9,000 pound metal billet that tipped over as he was attempting to move it into the saw. "Employers have an obligation to provide safe working conditions for their workers," said U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao. "In this case, the company failed to protect workers and is facing a significant fine of $153,500, primarily for failure to maintain equipment in safe operating condition." OSHA's inspection found that the saw's feed conveyor had been broken for more than a year, forcing workers to feed billets into it in an unsafe manner, and that the company had ignored workers' calls to fix it. As a result, OSHA issued a willful citation to Wyman Gordon for failing to maintain the equipment in safe operating condition and proposed a fine of $70,000, the largest allowed under law. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. Four repeat citations, carrying $45,000 in proposed fines, were issued to Wyman Gordon for unguarded open-sided floors; unguarded points of operation on machinery; unguarded live electrical parts; and the use of power cords that were damaged or lacked strain relief. OSHA issues repeat citations when an employer has previously been cited for substantially similar hazards and those citations have become final. In this case, OSHA had cited Wyman Gordon in 2001 and 2003 for similar hazards at its Groton, Conn., and Houston, Tex., plants. An additional $38,500 in fines were proposed for 20 serious citations addressing such hazards as unmarked exits; insufficient aisle clearance; defective fork trucks; unguarded tanks and floor holes; an uninspected fire suppression system; no bumpers on a crane; damaged slings; excess levels of nickel and nuisance dust; and various machine guarding and electrical safety deficiencies. OSHA defines a serious violation as one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. Wyman-Gordon has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by the OSHA's Springfield, Mass., area office. The telephone number is (413) 785-0123. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. ###
The information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (617) 565-2072. TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) Message Referral Phone: 800-347-8029. |
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OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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