Facility Safety

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After an employee was injured while conducting maintenance on equipment, OSHA inspectors found machine safety violations at Supplyside USA, a New Lenox, Illinois-based pallet manufacturer. The company faces $91,832 in proposed penalties for two repeated, six serious, and three other-than-serious violations.

Last October, Melissa Stephens went to work on third shift at Autonium in Jeffersonville, Indiana. She never came home to her husband of 20 years or her four children. Stephens had apparently gone through the interlocked gate, to put a fiber pad over a broken seal. But a spinning belt and pully dragged her into a machine where she was crushed to death.

Keeping sufficiently warm during the winter months can prove challenging, particularly when frigid temperatures persist, as they have recently for much of the country. While portable space heaters can help generate heat, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is reminding the public that they do present potential fire hazards and must be used with caution.

It’s ideal to stay ready for the unexpected, especially when it comes to ornery winter weather. You will feel much more at ease if you transform those anxious feelings of anticipation into proactive preparation. A survey of small business owners conducted by Travelers Insurance discovered that 44 percent of small businesses in the U.S. don’t have a written business continuity plan or any related document to explain how their business will operate in the event of serious weather emergencies.