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Region 2 News Release: NY 204
Wednesday, October 7, 1998
Contact: Chester J. Fultz, 212-337-2319

The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Crowley Foods, of 25 Hurlbut Street, Arkport, New York, and proposed penalties of $38,175 against the firm for one alleged repeat, ten alleged serious, and five alleged other-than-serious violations of OSHA standards. The company has until October 26 to contest the citations.

According to OSHA area director Diane M. Brayden, the action results from an investigation conducted from June 23 through September 29 at the plant, which makes dairy products.

OSHA cited the firm for failing to provide adequate guarding of ingoing nip points and rotating parts on machinery, an alleged repeat violation carrying a proposed penalty of $10,000. A repeat violation is one for which an employer has been previously cited for the same or a substantially similar condition and the citation has become a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The firm was previously cited for this type of condition at its facility in Concord, New Hampshire in June, 1997.

The alleged serious violations for which the employer was cited included:

• failure to develop procedures to lock out or tag out machinery being serviced or repaired to prevent accidental start-up, and failure to attach lockout-tagout devices to machines;

• failure to properly maintain conveyor systems;

• failure to provide adequate fall protection on platforms;

• failure to protect electrical panel boards, outlets, and fittings with cover plates;

• failure to guard rotating shafts, belts, sprockets, and pulleys;

• failure to label confined spaces with regard to their hazard and to document the testing of confined spaces.

The serious violations carry a total proposed penalty of $28,175.

The employer was also cited for alleged other-than-serious violations including failure to post floor loadings, failure to prevent smoking in LP gas dispensing area and failure to ensure the use pf personal protective equipment.

A serious violation is defined as a condition which exists where there is a substantial possibility that death or serious physical harm can result. An other-than-serious violation is a hazardous condition that would probably not cause death or serious physical harm but would have a direct and immediate relationship to the safety and health of employees.

The investigation was conducted by OSHA's Syracuse area office, located at 3300 Vickery Road, North Syracuse, New York, telephone (315) 451-0808.

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (212) 337-2319; TDD phone: 800-347-8029; OASAM TDD message referral phone number: 800-326-2577.