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

cited Peconic Recycling & Transfer Corp. for twelve safety and health violations, including one

willful violation and eleven serious violations. They come in response to an inspection of a

worksite in Cutchogue, NY in July of 2015. This inspection was initiated in response to an

incident where three employees were seriously injured while cleaning screens inside a cylindrical

screening device called a trammel after another employee unexpectedly restarted the machine.

The citations are for violations relating to lockout tagout policies, confined space management,

fall hazards, respiratory hazards, and improper training. These violations carry proposed

penalties of $181,500.

“This incident and serious injuries suffered by three employees were preventable. The company

knew programs needed to be in place to address and prevent these hazards, yet did not provide

required and adequate safeguards,” said Anthony Ciuffo, OSHA’s area director for Long Island.

“For the well-being of its employees, Peconic Recycling & Transfer Co. must take prompt and

effective corrective action to ensure that this never happens again.”

This is another case of large fines being issued in response to inappropriate and lacking lockout

tagout policies and procedures. Lockout tagout is, unfortunately, a very difficult area of

occupational safety and health, however it is also an extremely important area of occupational

safety and health, as deficiencies can lead to large fines and dangerous working conditions for

employees.

If you have any questions about this inspection or if you need help in updating or establishing

occupational safety and health policies and procedures, please contact us. If you have anything to

add about this inspection or about the importance of OSHA compliance, please leave a comment.