OSHA slaps Gordon, Ga., maintenance and repair railcar company with serious safety and health violations following fatality (1/18)
OSHA has cited Rescar Industries Inc. for serious and other-than-serious safety and health violations following a fatality at its Gordon, Ga., facility.
In July 2009, an employee was switching railcars to different locations for repair and maintenance, and was struck by a series of runaway railcars.
The company was cited with 26 serious safety and health violations. Some of the safety violations include failing to train workers on safe railcar switching procedures, failing to provide de-railer devices to prevent runaway railcars, failing to guard platforms to prevent fall hazards, failing to ensure proper lockout/tagout procedures of energy sources and operating unsafe overhead cranes when an annual inspection identified serious safety conditions.
Some of the health violations the company was cited for include noise exposure hazards, a deficient respiratory program, a deficient confined space program, failing to provide workers required to perform first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation duties with Hepatitis B vaccines, and exposing workers to the accumulation of combustible residue and dust on the walls and floors. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.
Two other-than-serious violations were issued for failing to log when an employee suffered a recordable hearing threshold shift during 2008 and 2009, and not maintaining the eyewash station. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.
"This company needs to improve its safety and health program to protect employees," said Gei-Thae Breezley, area director for OSHA's Atlanta-East Office.
The proposed OSHA penalties total $82,500.
In July 2009, an employee was switching railcars to different locations for repair and maintenance, and was struck by a series of runaway railcars.
The company was cited with 26 serious safety and health violations. Some of the safety violations include failing to train workers on safe railcar switching procedures, failing to provide de-railer devices to prevent runaway railcars, failing to guard platforms to prevent fall hazards, failing to ensure proper lockout/tagout procedures of energy sources and operating unsafe overhead cranes when an annual inspection identified serious safety conditions.
Some of the health violations the company was cited for include noise exposure hazards, a deficient respiratory program, a deficient confined space program, failing to provide workers required to perform first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation duties with Hepatitis B vaccines, and exposing workers to the accumulation of combustible residue and dust on the walls and floors. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.
Two other-than-serious violations were issued for failing to log when an employee suffered a recordable hearing threshold shift during 2008 and 2009, and not maintaining the eyewash station. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.
"This company needs to improve its safety and health program to protect employees," said Gei-Thae Breezley, area director for OSHA's Atlanta-East Office.
The proposed OSHA penalties total $82,500.
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