OSHA Cites Alabama Recycler

The two failure-to-abate violations with proposed penalties of $48,510 include failing to provide employees with a lockout/tagout program to prevent the unexpected startup of grinders and shredders before performing maintenance and not providing fire extinguisher training for employees. Prior to the January inspection, the company had certified to OSHA that the violations identified during the July 2010 inspection had been corrected.

Failure-to-abate violations occur when a previous citation has become a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, and the original condition, hazard or practice has been found uncorrected upon re-inspection.

A repeat violation with a $6,600 penalty was cited for failing to provide forklift training for new employees in the time that elapsed since the previous inspection.

A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

The company was cited with two serious violations with $5,280 in penalties for not enclosing electrical boxes and for having a damaged strain relief mechanism for wires entering into the electrical boxes.

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.

First Material Systems was cited with one other-than-serious violation with no monetary penalty for failing to certify that forklift operators had completed their training.

Other-than-serious violations have a direct relationship to job safety and health but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

"This employer has continued to endanger its workers by failing to correct hazardous conditions," says Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA area director in Mobile, Ala. "Such disregard for workers' safety will not be tolerated."