CWS 3.0: October 1, 2014

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Watch out: Staffing buyer cited in safety case, not provider

A hobby and craft paints maker faces a possible $84,500 in penalties for exposing staff and temporary workers to amputation, electrical and other safety hazards, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Monday. The company, Plaid Enterprises Inc., has 15 business days to pay or contest the findings.

Plaid is accused of six safety violations at its plant in Decatur, Ga., stemming from an April 2014 inspection.

The staffing provider in this case, Prologistix, does not face citations, according to the agency. It neither maintained supervision nor knew about the hazards.

Plaid received one “willful citation” for worker exposure to amputation hazards and machinery where safety locking devices were bypassed or deliberately disabled, according to OSHA. A willful violation is one committed with “intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.”

OSHA also issued three “serious citations” for not developing written instructions for disabling power from equipment to allow workers to perform maintenance and for not removing forklifts from service that had non-operational safety equipment, according to OSHA. The employer also put workers at risk from exposed electrical connections and unguarded wiring, according to the agency.

Plaid received two other citations for using space around electrical panels for storage and for exposing workers to unguarded rotating shafts.

“This employer clearly knew safety measures were bypassed and allowed its workers to be exposed to hazards that could cause severe injuries and fatalities,” said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East area office. “Production demands cannot be an excuse to allow either permanent or temporary workers to be exposed to these types of hazards.”

OSHA has increased its focus on temporary worker safety. For more, click here.