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

cited Ashley Furniture for eight safety and health violations, comprised of one willful, five

repeat, and two serious violations. They come in response to an inspection of a facility in

Whitehall, Wisconsin in April of 2015. This inspection was initiated as part of the Sever Violator

Enforcement Program. Ashley Furniture had two previous inspections at their headquarters in

Arcadia in January and July of this year. The previous citations totaled more than $1.8 million in

fines. The citations are for a lack of procedures to prevent machines from unintentionally starting

up when operators changed blades, cleared jams, and cleaned machines. There was also no

locking devices to prevent unexpected manchine movement (lockout/tagour). These violations

carry proposed penalties of $431,000

“Workers risked amputation injuries each time they serviced the machinery,” said Mark Hysell,

OSHA’s area director in Eau Claire. “Ashley Furniture failed to implement required safety

procedures to protect machine operators until after OSHA opened its inspection. The company

must make immediate, enforceable safety improvements at its facilities nationwide.”.

This is just another example of what happens when violations are not fixed. This company has

endured over $2 million in fines across three inspections. IF you have gone through an OSHA

inspection, it is important to make sure you properly rectify any findings. If you are having

trouble in doing that, it is important you contact a qualified third party occupational safety and

health auditing firm to assist you. Otherwise, you could end up in the same situation as this

company.

If you have any questions about this inspection or about ensuring your company is OSHA

compliant, please contact us. If you have anything to add about this inspection or about the

importance of addressing any citations, please leave a comment.