Federal safety officials have placed a Norfolk, Neb., flooring manufacturer into a severe violator program for workplace safety hazards and attempting to hide those hazards from safety inspectors.
U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration said MP Global Products LLC tried to hide hazardous machines from federal inspectors and threatened to fire employees who complained about unsafe working conditions during an investigation into why a 65-year-old temporary worker suffered the amputation of one finger and severe damage to another when his left hand was caught as he operated a machine.
OSHA said MP Global attempted to conceal an entire production line from the inspectors, who found numerous machines lacked safety guards that exposed workers to amputation injuries on that line and throughout the facility. Workers also told investigators the company threatened to fire those who told inspectors about their safety concerns.
OSHA cited MP Global on Aug. 26 for two willful, 22 serious and one other-than-serious safety violations carrying proposed penalties of $244,000. The agency also placed the company in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program after the inspection of the March 1, 2015, injury.
OSHA said inspectors found the company failed to train workers on machine safety procedures and vehicle operation. They also found blocked aisles, inadequate emergency exit signs, defective powered industrial trucks in operation and numerous electrical safety hazards, including damaged electrical boxes and exposed electrical wires.
Machine guarding violations are among OSHA’s most frequently cited, and can result in death or permanent disability.
MP Global manufactures underlayment products from recycled materials for use beneath laminate, tile and hardwood flooring. These products are sold by nationwide distributors such as: Home Depot, Lumber Liquidators, Menards, Wayfair and Build Direct.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Source: OSHA
Topics Commercial Lines Workers' Compensation Business Insurance
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