ELIDA, OH — OSHA inspectors issued four willful, four repeated, and 19 serious health and safety violations to A & D Wood Products, a wood pallet manufacturer based in Elida, Ohio. Acting on an employee complaint, OSHA investigators found workers at risk of amputation, explosion and other life-threatening hazards due to lockout/tagout negligence.
Employees of A & D Wood Products were found to be routinely exposed to amputation, combustible dust and other dangerous hazards. The company faces proposed penalties of $133,540 and has been placed in the agency’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
Under hazardous working conditions, employees operated machines without eye protection and without effective safeguards from moving parts amid large amounts of combustible wood dust piled throughout the facility. The force from such an explosion can cause deaths, injuries and destruction of buildings.
Kim Nelson, OSHA’s area director in Toledo, stated: “A & D Wood Products operates a manufacturing shop that exposes workers to real hazards daily, creating an environment that forces workers to make a choice between their lives and their livelihood…With 27 violations, it’s clear the safety and health of its workforce is not a priority for them.”
A & D Wood Products workers were found to be exposed to amputation and other injury hazards because devices were not used to prevent equipment from suddenly starting during service and maintenance, a procedure known as lockout/tagout. Inspectors also flagged electrical safety hazards like cabinets not closed properly to prevent contact with energized wires. A & D Wood Products was cited for similar violations at the facility in November 2011. OSHA issues repeated violations if an employer was previously cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.
A & D also failed to provide hearing protection and audiometric testing for employees, which can identify premature hearing loss. Noise-related hearing loss is one of the most prevalent occupational health concerns in the U.S., with an estimated 30 million workers exposed to noise each year. Additionally, OSHA inspectors noted machine guarding and electrical safety violations, poor hygiene conditions and unsafe practices related to forklift operations, including leaving forklifts running and unattended. The company also failed to train employees on fire extinguisher use and about hazardous chemicals and products used in the facility, and provided inadequate personal protective equipment. In total, 19 serious violations were cited.
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