Can anyone hear OSHA down at All Feed Processing and Packaging??
OSHA cited All-Feed Processing and Packaging Inc. located in Galva, Illinois, with alleged serious, repeat, willful and failure to abate citations of federal workplace safety and health standards. OSHA has proposed fines totaling $518,520 for the violations.
A 2009 April fire at the facility sent three workers to a local hospital. A resulting inspection revealed nine alleged willful, four serious, two repeat and two “failure-to-abate” violations. Hazards identified as willful violations addressed the lack of explosion prevention systems for combustible dust, inadequate housekeeping where dust could accumulate, insufficient personal protective equipment, training deficiencies, failure to lockout energy sources during maintenance and other lockout/tagout issues, and the lack of warning signs where combustible dust was being processed.
Serious violations included fall hazards and issues pertaining to employees entering or working in confined spaces where a variety of hazards could be present. The repeat violation cites the company’s failure to compile a list of hazardous chemicals used at the plant and the failure to include such a list in the hazardous communication program, and for the lack of proper employee training.
The company had been previously cited for these violations and had agreed to correct the problems but had not done so. The failure to abate violations included use of flexible cords as a substitute for fixed wiring and equipment and wiring was not approved for hazardous locations.
In business since 1997, the company has been issued 31 serious, nine willful, four repeat and seven other-than-serious citations. Someone down at the plant has a serious case of disrespect for the OSHA folks. In turn, apparently OSHA wants to get someone’s attention at the higher corporate level in the company judging on the potential size of the fine. WHAP!!!
Kentucky Insurance and Environmental Matters 
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