Houston Manufacturing Company Fined $113.5K for Alleged Safety Violations

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Houston, Texas-based Igloo Products Corp. with 14 alleged serious, two alleged repeat and four alleged other-than-serious violations for exposing workers to multiple safety hazards. Proposed penalties total $113,500.

OSHA’s Houston North Area Office began its investigation on May 27 at the company’s worksite on Igloo Road in Katy, Texas, following a complaint alleging workers were exposed to safety hazards while performing servicing and maintenance on machines and equipment in which the unexpected energization, or start up, of the machines or equipment, or release of stored energy, could cause injury to employees.

The serious violations include failing to maintain dry walking and working surfaces, provide clean stairway platforms to avoid tripping hazards, provide stairway railings, provide a hazard analysis for personal protection equipment, provide eye protection such as goggles and face shields, provide adequate eye wash and shower stations, provide machine guarding for rotating equipment and ensure electrical panel covers were closed. A serious violation is one in which there is substantial probability that death or serious

Repeat violations were cited for failing to provide energy control procedures and to ensure workers were affixing lockout/tagout devices to energy isolating devices.

Other-than-serious violations include failing to maintain and repair power tools and equipment and to adequately label electrical equipment. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of these latest citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director in Houston, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: OSHA