The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

has cited Rust-Oleum Corp. for 33 safety and health violations. These violations spanned

multiple areas of occupational safety and heath, but generally focused upon electrical

hazards, amputation, and exposure of full-time and temporary workers to crystalline

silica dust. The investigation was initiated in February in response to a complaint. The

citations carry proposed penalties in the amount of $189,000.

“By failing to correct the violations identified, Rust-Oleum chose to ignore worker safety

and exposed employees to hazards that could result in illness, injury or death,” said Bill

Fulcher, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office. “Workplace hazards need to be

addressed immediately and prevented from reoccurring by implementing an effective

safety and health program.”

Rust-Oleum was cited for 32 serious and one repeat violations. The violations included

exposing an employee to crystalline silica at levels of more than two times the exposure

limit; failing to develop procedures to protect workers from moving machine parts

during servicing and maintenance; exposing workers to crushing and struck-by hazards

by not replacing or repairing damaged storage rack shelving; and allowing electrical

equipment to be installed or used without following manufacturer instructions. OSHA

also cited Rust-Oleum for failure to administer and implement an occupational noise

monitoring program; providing adequate protective equipment, such as a chemical apron

for employees working with corrosive materials; and not developing or implementing

a written hazard communication program for employees working with hazardous

chemicals.

OSHA again and again makes clear that once an investigation is in place, no stone will be

left unturned. For this reason, it is imperative business owners ensure all of their safety

and health procedures are up-to-date and properly disseminated to employees. If you are

unsure if your safety and health procedures are up-to-date, or if you need to create new

procedures, it might make sense to hire a qualified third party occupational safety and

health auditing firm to assist you; getting it right the first time could save you hundreds of

thousands of dollars in the long run.

If you have any questions about establishing or updating occupational safety and

health policies and procedures, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the

importance of creating appropriate procedures, please leave a comment.