The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration discovered a manufacturer in the Houston area did not rectify hazards from 2022, resulting in 16 repeat and serious violations along with $298,000 in penalties. These failures occurred after an employee suffered an amputation injury at Air Starter Components Inc., according to an Aug. 31 news release.
“Rather than correcting the hazards we identified in 2022, Air Starter Components was still operating equipment without required safety guards and doing so resulted in another worker suffering a debilitating injury,” OSHA Area Director Mark Briggs, in Houston, said in the release. “Complying with safety standards is not optional. Employers who fail to follow required procedures will be held accountable.”
Air Starter Components is a manufacturer of engine components in Stafford, Texas, for failing to address safety hazards that led to an employee's finger amputation in March 2022. OSHA inspectors revisited the company in March 2023 for a follow-up investigation. During this investigation, they discovered a worker's hand had been caught in a polishing machine lacking the necessary safety guards, the release reported.
OSHA's follow-up inspection resulted in the citation of two repeat violations against the company. These violations were related to the improper adjustment of bench grinders and the failure to post the required 2022 OSHA injury and illness logs, the release said.
Furthermore, inspectors identified 14 serious violations, including hazards in a spray booth, unguarded machinery parts and issues with electrical equipment. The proposed penalties following this follow-up inspection amount to $127,187, according to the release.
Additionally, OSHA issued failing-to-abate citations to Air Starter Components for not rectifying the previously identified hazards and for not including a 2022 recordable injury on its OSHA 300 log. Despite the company's earlier agreement with OSHA to address these violations, it failed to provide abatement documentation, the release said.
Consequently, the agency imposed an additional $171,063 in penalties, bringing the total proposed penalties faced by the company to $298,250, according to the release.
Established in 1988, Air Starter Components specializes in manufacturing and servicing air starters and engine components, with a global presence through dealers across six continents, the release reported.
