OSHA Fines for Avoidable Amputation Frequent According to US Compliance Corp

Aug. 5, 2015 - PRLog -- Privately held manufacturing firms must attain and sustain environmental, health, and safety compliance. Manufacturers rely heavily on employees to make the business productive and profitable. Lost workdays due to sickness or injury quickly diminish profits; employees want to know manufacturers care about their health and safety. U.S. Compliance Corp helps manufacturers avoid non-compliance lawsuits and fines by partnering and creating a customized program, practical to implement, easy to follow, and preventing workers’ comp claims or costly citations.

Machine guards may have prevented arm amputation suffered by worker at Cordele, GA, sawmill Griffin Lumber & Hardware. The company ignored hazards and received a willful violation. According to OSHA, a job should be a source of personal accomplishment and pride, not the cause of disability and unemployment.

A 29-year-old temporary worker suffered at a local sawmill operated by Griffin Lumber & Hardware. The man's left arm was amputated when his jacket was caught in the drive shaft of a conveyor belt early in 2015. OSHA's inspectors found that workers at the Cordele-based business risked amputations and the dangers associated with unguarded sprocket wheels and chains on a conveyor belt.

The severely injured worker was employed by Labor Finders, a staffing agency that provides Griffin Lumber with temporary workers. Griffin Lumber was responsible for daily supervision, training, and direction of the temporary workers. OSHA concluded an inspection with Labor Finders and issued no citations to the staffing agency.  "Griffin management admitted to inspectors that the unguarded parts had been that way for a long time," said Robert Vazzi, OSHA's area director in Savannah, GA. "This terrible incident proves the company can no longer ignore worker safety and must address all safety hazards immediately."

OSHA alleged that the 74 full-time and temporary employees who work on-site were exposed to serious injury or death due to this violation. The company faces a penalty of $56,000.  Since 2013, Griffin Lumber has been inspected three times and received citations for unsafe forklift usage, unguarded machinery, and other workplace hazards. Griffin Lumber operates a sawmill and three stores in southern Georgia.

OSHA announced an initiative to improve workplace safety and health for temporary workers, who are at increased risk of work-related injury and illness. The initiative includes outreach, training, and enforcement to ensure that temporary workers are protected on-the-job. OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have also issued a "Recommended Practices" publication that focuses on ensuring temporary workers receive the same training and protection as permanent employees. OSHA has also created a National Emphasis Program on Amputations.

About U.S. Compliance Corp

Manufacturers with $25M-$250M in annual revenue have the same requirements to keep up with the latest government regulations. U.S. Compliance Corp has over 25 years of experience keeping more than 1,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada compliant with OSHA and environmental laws.  Manufacturers must keep innovating, making better and dynamic products, while U.S. Compliance Corp keeps track of the changing regulations.  Outsourcing this vital function to experts ensures manufacturers stay on top of the requirements and provide implementation and documentation of safety and compliance programs.

U.S. Compliance Corp (www.uscompliance.com/smartcompliance) offers Compliance Fundamentals services providing valuable, on-going compliance support for OSHA and/or Environmental regulations. Highly qualified specialists work at clients’ manufacturing facilities and lead employees in interactive compliance trainings. On-site employee trainings are scheduled to evaluate manufacturing plant sites and complete the necessary OSHA and environmental reports. Follow U.S. Compliance Corp on Twitter at @US_Compliance; contact U.S. Compliance Corp at (888) 897-8681.