The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the citations regarding the Albion Mill site last week. The reports include multiple willful and serious safety violations, along with several that were noted in a previous inspection of the location.
The location is one of five sites in the state run by Mattock Five.
“Our follow-up inspection at Albion Mill found employees continue to be exposed to severe combustible dust issues. In some areas, 6 inches or more of dust had accumulated, creating a dangerous risk of explosion,” said Theresa Naim, director of OSHA's Erie Area Office. “This company had ample opportunity, time and guidance to correct the hazardous conditions but chose business as usual by disregarding the safety of its employees.”
Violations noted
Willful violations are defined as safety concerns that the employer either knew but did not comply with or instances in which actions were taken with indifference to employee safety, said OSHA. Whereas, serious violations occur when a workplace hazard has the potential to cause accident or illness and potentially lead to death or serious physical harm.
Several potential willful safety hazards were noted at the location said OSHA. These included that some pulleys, belts and moving or rotating machinery were unguarded; there was no established housekeeping procedure to deal with grain dust; and inspection certification records were not kept for equipment.
“Employees are potentially exposed to combustible dust hazards from grain and feed products, including, but not limited to, cracked corn flour,” the agency said. “The combustible dust is accumulating on the floor surfaces and upper areas including, but not limited to, beams, trusses and ledges. Dust accumulations range from 1-inch to 8-inches on floor surfaces and 1-inch to 4-inches on upper surfaces.”
The employer also did not require use of safety equipment in enclosed spaces, the agency said. “The employer does not requires employees to use a body harness with a lifeline, or boatswain’s chair when employees are entering grain storage structures from a level at or above the level of the stored grain,” it added.
Serious safety violations noted included fall hazards from ladders lacking filler blocks and missing guardrails for second floor bins, the agency said. The company also stored propane cylinders near the emergency exit from the facility and the canisters were not restrained.
Other safety concerns included that the company did not issue permits before employees entered enclosed spaces, like grain bins, and that employees were not given specific training before working in such spaces, the agency said. Also, not all machinery was adequately guarded or enclosed.
“Employees operate a Rollo-Mixer brand batch mixer to make product including, but not limited to, animal feed,” the agency said. “The sides and rear of the rotating drum of the batch mixer was not guarded.”
Additionally, ladders were not inspected or pulled from use when damaged and fire extinguishers were not wall-mounted or regularly maintained, and employees were not trained on how to use them, the agency said. A tag or lock out system also was not used properly when maintenance was done on a piece of equipment.
Several of the violations noted also were repeated from a previous site assessment that OSHA had completed in 2013, the agency said. Those included the lack of safety equipment; that the employer did not have a written hazard communication program or train employees on working with hazards when handling combustible materials including grain dust or liquid propane; and respirators for voluntary use were not made available.
What’s next?
The company has several potential responses to the findings, said OSHA, including having an informal hearing on the matter to discuss both violations raised and fines set.
An initial informal conference has taken place regarding on the matter and discussions are ongoing, the agency added.
The company also can accept the citations and agree to fix the problems listed and pay the fines, the agency said. Or, it has the option of challenging either some or all of the items.