IN 2011, Olé Mexican Foods was cited for, among other things, failing to ensure workers performing equipment servicing and maintenance understood the energy control program and procedures and for caught-in and amputation hazards from the points of operation on equipment in the production area. Earlier this year, OSHA revisited Olé Mexican Foods. Today, they announced over $150,000 in citations, many of which are repeat violations from 2011.
According to William Fulcher, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office, “This employer received citations for the same hazards earlier and did not correct them. Additionally, amputation and caught-in hazards remained, posing a risk of serious injury or even death for their workers. These hazards must be eliminated immediately from the workplace.”
The penalties for the repeat violations totaled $77,000. In addition, there were $73,030 in penalties for new serious safety and health violations. These violations included failing to clearly and specifically outline the energy control procedures for all energy sources on the mixers and production equipment; instruct each affected worker on the purpose and scope of the energy control program; ensure authorized workers in the energy control program were utilizing lockout procedures when performing service on mixers; cover drainage troughs and guarded platforms to prevent trip and fall hazards; prevent exposure to amputation and caught-in hazards from protruding shaft ends and unguarded chain and sprockets; and ensure unobstructed exit routes. Other violations include failing to ensure workers spraying corrosive chemicals use splash goggles; provide an emergency eyewash station; provide appropriate hand protection; and conduct audiograms for temporary workers exposed to noise levels in excess of permissible exposure limits.
And while this seems like a laundry list of issues you would not expect to find in a normal factory, it is amazing how easily many of these issues can be overlooked. So if you have recently been audited by OSHA, or if you have not recently had a third party safety audit, it might be a good time to contact a qualified third party safety auditing firm to review your workplace.
If you have any questions about third party safety audits, or OSHA regulations in general, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about the Olé Mexican Foods fines, please leave a comment.
