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OSHA Fines Kansas Slaughterhouse
$180,900
The U.S. Department of Labor’s
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited
a Kansas slaughterhouse for 37 alleged safety and health violations
and proposed penalties totaling $180,900.
OSHA opened a health inspection
of the meat processing facility in October 2006 after receiving
information alleging violations of OSHA’s Process Safety
Management (PSM) Standard, as well as powered industrial truck
hazards. A referral from the investigating compliance officer
resulted in the safety inspection.
“Employers must provide
a safe and healthful working environment and ensure that all
employees are protected from hazardous conditions,” said
Charles E. Adkins, OSHA’s regional administrator in Kansas
City, Mo. “This employer is well aware of the standards
that protect employees from the hazards we found during our inspection,
yet did not comply with them.”
One alleged willful health
citation is for the employer’s failure to inspect and test
the two anhydrous ammonia systems within the facility, and to
correct deficiencies in the systems.
Sixteen alleged serious health
violations address hazards including PSM deficiencies; deficiencies
with permits required for confined spaces; failure to develop
and implement an emergency action plan; failure to provide refresher
training for hazardous material technicians; failure to provide
personal protective equipment; failure to provide a respiratory
protection program; and failure to develop and implement a hazard
communication program.
Nineteen alleged serious
safety violations address hazards associated with machine guarding
deficiencies; failure to use seatbelts on powered industrial
trucks; failure to train powered industrial truck operators;
failure to provide fall protection; failure to provide a safe
working surface; failure to provide adequate lockout/tagout procedures;
failure to perform periodic inspections of the lockout/tagout
program; failure to replace damaged and exposed welding leads;
and various electrical deficiencies.
One alleged other-than-serious
health violation addresses failure to properly record injuries
and illnesses.
Willful violations are those
committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference
to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Serious violations are those where death or serious physical
harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known,
of the hazard. Other-than-serious violations have a direct relationship
to job safety and health but probably would not cause death or
serious physical harm.
The company has 15 working
days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to
comply, request and participate in an informal conference with
OSHA’s area director, or contest the citations before the
independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Source: OSHA News Release 4/10/07
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