After a complaint brought OSHA inspectors to Durand-Wayland Inc.’s LaGrange, Georgia facility, their inspection resulted in the agency issuing 11 serious and 10 other safety violations.

The citations were issued based on the employer's failure to: identify permit-required confined spaces; test the air quality of confined spaces before workers were allowed to enter them; develop a procedure to prevent machinery from starting up during maintenance and servicing; exposing workers to fall hazards; provide personal protective equipment to workers who were exposed to welding hazards; and for exposing workers to moving parts from a tapping and threading machine that was missing a safety guard. Other violations include the employer failing to conduct fit testing for workers that used respiratory masks and not training workers on the dangers of hexavalent chromium exposure.

"Employees at the Durand facility are being exposed to deadly confined space, amputation and fall hazards," said Christi Griffin, OSHA's director of the Atlanta-West Area Office. "The safety program needs immediate changes to address these hazards."

Proposed penalties: $44,710

The citations can be viewed at:
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/osha/OSHA20151287afs.pdf*
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/osha/OSHA20151287bfs.pdf*

Durand-Wayland Inc. manufactures agricultural equipment used by fruit and vegetable workers.