The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Arbre Group Holding – doing business as Holli-Pac Inc. – for willful and serious violations of workplace safety and health standards at its Holley, N.Y., facility. The company, which packages frozen fruits and vegetables for retailers, faces a total of $200,791 in penalties.
OSHA inspectors determined that the company exposed employees to laceration and amputation hazards related to a package filler machine. Parts of the machine did not have doors to prevent employees from contacting operating parts. The access door on another part of the machine lacked an interlock mechanism to stop the machine’s operation when opening the door.
OSHA also cited the company for inadequate lockout/tagout procedures and failing to train employees on hazardous chemicals in the workplace, obtain annual audiograms for employees exposed to excessive noise levels, ensure employees wore appropriate eye and face protection and repair damaged parts on electrical equipment.
OSHA conducted the inspections under the Site-Specific Targeting Program, which directs enforcement resources to workplaces where the highest rate of injuries and illnesses have occurred.
“Employers that do not comply with the law will see full and fair enforcement,” said OSHA Buffalo Area Director Michael Scime in a U.S. Department of Labor press release. “Maintaining a safe workplace involves employers regularly conducting analyses to find and fix hazards, and training workers to recognize those hazards before they cause injury or illness.”
Source: U.S. Department of Labor
Topics USA New York Workers' Compensation
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