A U.S. Department of Labor workplace safety investigation has determined that a Woodbury plastic and resin manufacturer could have prevented a 37-year-old employee from suffering fatal injuries by adhering to required safety protocols designed to prevent machines from starting during maintenance.
Investigators from the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) discovered that the maintenance technician at Crown USA Inc. was crushed inside an unlocked hooding palletizer while servicing the machine.
"Employers must understand federal workplace safety regulations exist to help prevent tragedies like the one that occurred at Crown USA Inc.," said OSHA Area Director Jeffery Stawowy in Atlanta-West. "OSHA is available to answer employers' questions and to help them understand their obligations. We can also provide employers resources for identifying hazards in their workplaces and developing safety programs."
OSHA concluded that the company violated federal regulations by failing to use adequate machine guarding, not training employees on energy control procedures, neglecting to conduct inspections of these procedures, exposing workers to serious respiratory hazards, not providing appropriate personal protective equipment, and failing to label containers according to hazardous communication standards.
Crown USA received eight serious and six other-than-serious violations, facing $98,699 in proposed OSHA penalties.
The agency provides information on lockout/tagout and other machine safety procedures to educate employers on how to protect workers from potential equipment hazards.
Founded in 1994, Crown USA Inc. supplies and manufactures roadway paint and pavement marking materials at its headquarters in Columbus.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Learn more about OSHA.
