Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas and a staffing agency it works with have been fined $35,852 in penalties following safety and health citations for violations at its Monroe, Georgia facility, including deficiencies in the company's hearing protection and hazard communication programs, as well as an emergency eye wash station that wasn’t installed.

A staffing agency which supplied Hitachi with temporary workers. Express Employment Professionals, was also cited.

OSHA inspected the facility in response to a complaint of unsafe working conditions.

Among the violations:

Employees were exposed to slick floors where metal cutting fluids are used routinely in machines.

• Lockout/tagout procedures were not provided in a language all Lockout/tagout authorized employees could understand. The procedures were in English only and could not be understood by Japanese employees who did not read or understand English.
• The company failed to do period inspections of energy control procedures
• Established lockout procedure were not utilized by employees

Express Employment Professionals was cited for

• Failing to establish a baseline audiogram for employees
• Failing to provide eye and face protection for employees potentially exposed to caustic chemicals
• Failing to train employees about the hazardous chemicals in their work areas

Total penalties: $33,860.