OSHA Fines El Paso Plastics Company
The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Plastic Systems LLC of El Paso for numerous alleged violations.
According to an OSHA release, the company was cited for eight serious, three repeat and one other-than-serious violation after an inspection at the plastic producer’s El Paso plant. Officials say the proposed penalties total $96,000.
OSHA’s Area Director for El Paso, Zachary Barnett, says “This is not the first time Plastic Systems has exposed its workers to preventable workplace hazards…It is fortunate in this case that there were no injuries or accidents.”
OSHA’s El Paso Area Office inspected Plastic System’s plan on January 5th of this year. According to the Department of Labor, Plastic Systems employs about 238 workers at its El Paso facility.
According to the news release issued by OSHA, ‘serious violations included failing to maintain a workplace in a clean and orderly manner; maintain an effective hearing conservation program; provide eye protection for employees working near grinding machinery; properly guard industrial machines; ensure forklift operators were certified; and address electrical hazards such as broken wires, open conductors and receptacles.”
OSHA defines serious violations as ” 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.”
The report goes on to describe the repeat violations included “failing to develop and document procedures for an energy control program and periodically inspect an energy control program.”
According to officials a repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.
OSHA cited the company last year for similar violations with proposed penalties of $15,000.
Officials say in the release that Plastic Systems LLC now has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director in El Paso or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
