August 26, 2015

Workers exposed to multiple hazards at farm machinery manufacturer

Employer name: H & S Manufacturing Co. Inc., Marshfield, Wisconsin

Citations issued: Aug. 18, 2015

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Madison Area Office issued 13 safety and health violations to the farm machinery and equipment manufacturer. The violations include:

• Not providing machine guarding to protect workers from moving machinery.
• Improper use and maintenance of forklifts.
• Exposing workers to falls of up to 5 feet due to unguarded open sided floors or platforms.
• Failing to evaluate respiratory hazards.
• Not training workers about hazardous chemicals, including methylene chloride.
• Improper storage of flammable liquids.
• Exposing workers to fire hazards from flammable spray operations.

Proposed penalties: $59,000

Quote: "If you work with forklifts or dangerous chemicals, you need proper training and working conditions. But workers at H & S Manufacturing Co. are being put at risk every day," said Ann Grevenkamp, OSHA's area director in Madison. "The company needs to evaluate its safety and health programs and make immediate improvements to protect workers on the job."

Link to citations:
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/opa/H&S%20Manufacturing%2015-1627-CHI-OSHA.pdf

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Madison Area Office at 608-441-5388.

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Media Contacts:

Scott Allen, 312-353-6976, allen.scott@dol.gov
Rhonda Burke, 312-353-6976, burke.rhonda@dol.gov

Release Number: 15-1627-CHI

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department's Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).