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

cited Chicago Dryer Co. for twenty one safety and health violations, comprised of one willful

and twenty serious safety and health violations. They come in response to an inspection of a

worksite in Chicago, Illinois in October of 2014 in response to an employee complaint of the

worksite. These violations are for hazards relating to exposing workers to struck-by hazards

because the company used damaged crane slings to carry 3,000 pound cylinders. These

violations carry proposed penalties of $171,000.

“When a press brake lacks safety features, one slip and a worker can lose a hand,” said Angeline

Loftus, area director of OSHA’s Chicago North Area Office in Des Plaines. “OSHA found

multiple serious violations in this industrial setting. Chicago Dryer needs to address the use of

damaged equipment immediately and lack of training that puts workers at risk for serious and

potentially fatal injuries.”

There were also citations for unguarded press brakes; not removing damaged crane slings and

powered industrial vehicles from use; exposed workers to fall hazards because railings were not

installed on open stairs and working surfaces; and failed to develop machine-specific procedures

for controlling unintentional machine operation during service and maintenance, including

affixing locking devices.

If you have any concerns about your occupational safety and health procedures, it is important to

review them, so as to protect yourself from excessive fees off citations in the event of an audit.

If you have any questions about this case or about setting up a third party safety audit, please

contact us. If you have anything to add about the importance of ensuring all safety regulations

are updated, please leave a comment.