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OSHA finds 44 violations at South New Jersey plant

September 25th, 2015 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

OSHA finds 44 violations at South New Jersey plant

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an inspection on April 15 at a Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, aluminum plant that resulted in 44 violations. According to The Washington Times, around 35 of the violations were considered serious by the organization. The more serious violations included electrical equipment issues, damaged crane control boxes and lack of saw guards, according to The New Jersey Business Journal.

The investigation happened because the company notified OSHA that an employee had broken his leg at the plant in March, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. The employee was involved in an accident with crane equipment. It was not reported whether or not the damaged crane control boxes found were directly responsible for the employee's injury, but OSHA officials stated that the violations contributed to the worker's injury. 

"The number of safety violations found at Aluminum Shapes' plant is completely unacceptable," Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York, said in a prepared statement reported by The New Jersey Business Journal. "This employer blatantly ignored known safety requirements, causing a preventable worker injury. This company is now paying a hefty price for its negligence. The hazards identified in the investigation should be immediately addressed to prevent future incidents and ensure worker safety."

For the 44 violations, OSHA proposed a $308,000 fine. The company has a few options now that the inspection is complete and OSHA has reached a verdict. It can pay the fines, contest the citations or set up a meeting with OSHA officials to discuss the issues.

Safety compliance isn't a choice
Meeting ever-changing safety regulations isn't an easy task, but it is a necessity. Noncompliance will result in hefty fines and injured workers, which can cost a company money, employee loyalty and its public reputation. If a business is perceived poorly by the community and caught up in OSHA inspections and violations, it will likely have a hard time finding companies and customers to work with. While ensuring the entire facility is compliant can be difficult, a company can make sure that its employees are safe and that its facilities are up-to-date with the help of EHS compliance software. By taking a proactive approach, companies can avoid any of the pitfalls that can come with noncompliance, and any inspections from OSHA should go smoothly.

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