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OSHA proposes $182,270 in penalties for safety violations

June 19, 2014

Maplewood Beverage Packers LLC and staffing firm Corporate Resource Services Corp. (NASD: CRRS) face penalties after an investigation in December by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration found health and safety violations at a Maplewood plant in Maplewood, N.J., OSHA reported.

The investigation took place after a referral from the Maplewood Fire Department when a temporary worker was injured after falling from a ladder.

OSHA has proposed $182,270 in penalties with a majority going to the staffing buyer.

OSHA cited Maplewood Beverage with one willful, one repeat, 17 serious and two other safety and health violations. The willful health violation was for not providing employees with annual audiograms and carries a $54,450 penalty. The repeat safety violation was cited for the company’s failure to provide proper machine guarding and carries a $13,860 penalty. The serious safety and health violations included excessive noise, slip, trip and fall hazards and carries $101,970 in penalties.

Two other violations were cited for failure to train employees who work in the area where lockout/tagout is performed for the purpose and use of energy control procedures. The employer also failed to notify employees upon first entering employment, and annually thereafter, about noise exposure records, the person responsible for maintaining and providing access to noise exposure records, and their rights to access medical and/or exposure records.

An “other-than-serious” violation carried a $990 penalty.

According to OSHA, Corporate Resources Services employed the temporary workers and supplied labor to Maplewood Beverage. OSHA cited the temporary employment agency for two serious health and safety violations for failure to conduct a hazard assessment of the workplace, ensure that each employee was informed of the effects of noise on hearing and inform each employee about hearing protectors. The violations carry an $11,000 penalty.

Corporate Resource Services acquired the staffing firm involved in the incident in February of this year.

“This incident occurred in December of 2013 with Staff Management Group in New Jersey,” Corporate Resource Services said in a statement. “CRS acquired Staff Management Group in February 2014 and the employee was not a Corporate Resource Services employee.”

Both the staffing buyer and staffing firm have 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, ask for an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

In April 2013, OSHA announced an initiative to help protect temporary workers from workplace hazards.

“Host employers and staffing agencies are jointly responsible for ensuring worker safety and health,” said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA’s Parsippany Area Office. “Employers must protect all workers from job hazards-both permanent and temporary workers.”