An investigation into a Houston wind turbine parts manufacturing facility has determined that an employer failed to address safety violations found during a federal inspection in April 2022 and again in a follow-up inspection in November, leading to potential penalties being handed down.
Proinlosa Energy Corp. was cited by the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for one serious violation and faces $293,982 in proposed penalties after the probe found machine guarding violations that had been identified during the initial April 7 inspection had not been addressed during a Nov. 1 follow-up. Workers were required to perform maintenance on machines and equipment without having an energy control program in place, including energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections. according to a release from the Department of Labor.
“The inspection found multiple instances of employees exposed to machine hazards due to the lack of machine guards,” OSHA Area Director Mhekeba Hager in Houston said in the release. “Industrial machinery is unforgiving and can cause sudden, severe and disabling injuries or worse when workers are left unprotected when energy control procedures and guards are bypassed or inadequate.”
The company has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference or contest the findings before the independent OSHA Review Commission, the release added. Proinlosa also has to show evidence to OSHA that is taken the appropriate corrective measures, according to a letter the Labor Department sent to the company.
Workers left unprotected when energy control procedures and guards inadequate face the risk of sudden, severe or fatal injuries and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that 1,850 amputations resulted from workers being caught in running equipment or machinery during 2020, OSHA said.
Proinlosa Energy manufactures and supplies various internal tower components to the world’s largest wind turbine and tower manufacturers, such as Gamesa, Acciona, Alstom and Vestas. The company is part of Spain’s Proinlosa Group, the release added.
