Georgia manufacturer exposes workers to deadly safety hazards
Durand Wayland, Inc., cited for 21 violations with nearly $45K in proposed penalties
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.