The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed
$113,300 in fines for US Minerals, Inc. as a result of nine health and safety violations. These
violations were uncovered during an inspection which came as the result of a follow up audit on
a facility in Roberts, WI in September, 2014. These health and safety violations were for
exposure to serious machine, fall, and respiratory hazards.
“U.S. Minerals continues to demonstrate that the safety and health of its workers is not a
corporate priority,” said Mark Hysell, area director of OSHA’s Eau Claire office. “This
inspection demonstrates that the company has failed to meet the goals outlined in the 2012
agreement. This is a disheartening setback for worker safety at this company.”
Four repeat violations were issued because employees were endangered by amputation and
crushing hazards at a conveyor and while clearing pallet jams and debris from a pallet elevator;
workers were also expected to unclog a chute at a height of about 25 feet without adequate fall
protection systems in place.
In addition, a known carcinogen, hexavalent chromium, was found in eating areas. Employees
were also not trained on hazardous chemicals in their workplace and their potential health
effects. U.S. Minerals also failed to develop procedures for summoning rescue and emergency
services and used fiberglass self-supporting ladders inappropriately. This led to three serious
violations.
Finally, OSHA inspectors found exits were blocked by large pallets of materials and powered
industrial trucks were left unattended while being filled with materials, exposing workers to
struck-by hazards. This led to 2 other-than-serious violations.
As you can see from this investigation, OSHA has covered a number of different areas of the
business, from lockout tagout to evacuation routes. What this means for your business is that if
you have a deficiency in one area, it can lead to an audit uncovering multiple issues across
multiple areas. So if you are uncomfortable with your occupational health and safety policies and
procedures, it is important to have them updated.
If you have any questions about this case or about updating your occupational safety and health
procedures, please contact us. If you have anything to add about this case, please leave a
comment.
Leave A Comment