Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyers Blog
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Trio Foundry Inc. of Sandwich, IL, an aluminum castings producer, with 20 health and safety violations, including one willful and one repeat violation.
OSHA defines a willful safety violation as one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plan indifference to worker safety and health. The willful violoation involved at the Trio Foundry involved they had failed to protect th operator of a belt sander from “caught-on” hazards and rotating parts.
A repeat violation exists when an employer has been previously cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five year. The repeat violation found at the Trio Foundry involved a lack of guarding on an abrasive grinder wheel for which the company had been cited for in 2009.
Serious safety violations included a lack of machine guarding, lack of proper electrical equipment maintenance, and lack of personal protective equipment and safety training for maintenance workers handling electrical equipment. Serious health violations included using an unsecured propane tank as fuel for heat, failing to provide personal protective equipment against exposure and contact to molten metal, and ensuring adequate housekeeping to prevent aluminum dust accumulation on surfaces and floors.
In a press release from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA’s area director in North Aurora, IL, Kathy Webb, said, “Trio Foundry Inc. is responsible for ensuring that workers are properly protected from inherent hazards in the metal casting industry, such as amputations. Employers cited with repeat violations demonstrate a disregard for workplace safety and health laws. OSHA is committed to protecting workers, especially when employers fail to do so.”
O’Connor Law has built its reputation on protecting workers who have been injured on the job. So this story strikes a chord with us, especially since we have similar foundries here in our area. If you are injured on the job or know of health and safety violations where you work, you may have a case. Contact our attorney team to see how we can help you.