Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited NC Hunt Inc. for three repeat violations and seven serious violations of workplace safety standards. The facility faces a total of $79,310 in fines for these ten violations following an inspection by OSHA.The repeat violations include: not using energy control procedures to prevent employees from being struck by a logging carriage, a lack of barriers and warning signs to prevent entry to the logging carriage path, and elevated walkways that lacked required guardrails.
Similar violations to these were previously cited in 2009. The proposed fines for these repeat violations total $53,900.
OSHA’s area director stated, “These recurring hazards exposed employees to the hazards of falls and being struck by machinery. It’s imperative that employers take effective and ongoing action to ensure that hazards, once corrected, remain corrected.”
Some of the serious violations include: using an industrial work truck with a defective emergency brake, lack of machine guarding to prevent employee contact with the moving parts of a saw and a grinder, and an ungrounded extension cord and incomplete energy control procedure. The proposed fines for the serious violations are $25,410.
A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Pulgini & Norton, LLP attorneys have handled workers’ compensation claims for over 25 years in and around Boston and its surrounding areas. If you or a family member has been injured at work and would like to seek legal assistance, please contact us at (781) 843-2200 or (888) 344-2046 or email us.
Cited Sources:
Repeat-offending Sawmill in Maine Faces $79,310 in OSHA Fines, Woodworking Network, May 22, 2013