Region 6 News Release: DOL-OSHA-10-658-DAL
May 20, 2010
Contact: Michael Wald Michael D'Aquino
Phone: 404-562-2078 404-562-2076
Email: Wald.Michael@dol.gov D'Aquino.Michael@dol.gov

US Labor Department's OSHA cites Mueller Copper Tube Products
in Wynne, Ark., for exposing workers to variety of hazards

WYNNE, Ark. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Mueller Copper Tube Products, a subsidiary of Mueller Industries Inc. in Wynne, with safety and health violations following an inspection at the company's worksite on North Falls Boulevard. The privately held corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., owns and operates 20 facilities located in eight states and two foreign countries. Proposed penalties total $70,675.

"The presence of multiple health and safety hazards at this facility exposed workers to serious injuries," said Carlos Reynolds, area director of OSHA's Little Rock Area Office.

OSHA's Little Rock office began its investigation on Jan. 27. The safety portion of the inspection resulted in four serious violations including failing to provide chains on platforms to protect workers from falling, to ensure workers were knowledgeable about the proper use of compressed air, and to repair or maintain electrical conduits. A serious citation is issued 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. Two repeat safety violations were issued for failing to provide machine guarding and to ensure shafts were adequately guarded. OSHA issues repeat violations if an employer previously has been cited for the same or a substantially similar condition or hazard at any other facility in federal enforcement states. The serious and repeat safety violation penalties total $48,500.

The health inspection portion brought seven serious, one repeat and one other-than-serious violation with proposed penalties totaling $22,175. Serious violations include failing to provide monitoring of noise levels, to ground and bond flammable and combustible liquids during transfer and to provide personal protective equipment. The repeat violation was issued for failing to properly label containers.

Mueller Copper Tube Products employs about 2,000 workers in Arkansas, California, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Canada and England ⿿ about 372 of whom are located at the Wynne facility. In January, OSHA issued three Mueller Industries Inc. subsidiaries in Fulton, Miss., with 128 citations for exposing workers to safety and health hazards. The citations resulted from an investigation in July 2009 after a maintenance worker employed by Mueller Copper Tube Co. was killed and two other workers were injured when naphtha, a flammable liquid of hydrocarbon mixtures, leaked from an electric pump and ignited. The penalties total $683,000, and the company has contested the citations and penalties.

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

Employers and employees with questions regarding workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA's Little Rock Area Office at 501-224-1841 or OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-6742 to report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

###

U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audiotape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit http://www.dol.gov/compliance.