The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has
cited Harden Furniture Inc. for twenty five safety and health violations, comprised of twenty five
serious violations. They come in response to an inspection of a facility in McConellsville, NY in
April of 2015. This inspection was initiated by the OSHA Syracuse Area Office as part of the
agency’s national emphasis program that conducts targeted inspections of workplaces with
machinery equipment that cause – or are capable of causing – amputations. The citations are for
issues relating to failure to guard saws and woodworking machinery to prevent employees from
coming in contact with blades; fall hazards from unguarded floors and platforms, missing
railings and unsafe ladders; obstructed and inadequately lit and marked exit routes; deposits of
combustible residue; inadequate safeguards for employees working in confined spaces; deficient
safeguards to prevent the unintended startup of machinery; and ungrounded electrical equipment.
These violations carry proposed penalties of $106,200.
“Employees at the McConnellsville plant face the hazards of amputation, falls, fire, electric
shock or being caught in unexpectedly activated machinery. These are hazards commonly
associated with woodworking machinery and manufacturing, and they are hazards that can easily
be prevented by an employer,” said Christopher Adams, OSHA’s area director in Syracuse.
“Harden Furniture must take effective corrective action to eliminate these hazardous conditions.”
If you have any questions about this inspection or about how to ensure your facility is fully
compliant in occupational safety and health, please contact us. If you have anything else to add
about this inspection, please leave a comment.
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