OSHA has fined a Chatsworth, Illinois manufacturer $75,000 for 14 different serious violations. The drainage pipe maker, Prinsco Inc., was given 15 days to correct the items cited, schedule a meeting with OSHA representatives to try and mediate the citations or appeal them. The company indicated it had already scheduled a meeting to discuss the citations and fines. The OSHA action is typically designed to prevent an industrial accident from occurring.
Prinsco’s Chatsworth facility is said to employ 40 workers. The company manufactures corrugated plastic drainage piping. OSHA’s area director noted that Prinsco maintains a higher than average number of workers who reportedly miss work due to an on the job injury. For that reason, the director noted that an emphasis on safety was mandated. An inspection of the Illinois facility was conducted in May, and the recent citations were said to result from that investigation.
For its part, the company asserts that about three quarters of the problems identified were corrected prior to the OSHA inspectors leaving the plant. The others were reportedly corrected prior to receiving the OSHA notice. Nevertheless, OSHA says it just followed its routine procedures. It noted that a serious violation is defined as one that has a substantial likelihood of causing significant injury or death, which the employer was aware of or should have been.
One of OSHA’s goals is to reduce the prospects for an industrial accident. Both manufacturers and employees benefit by a plant that follows designated workplace safety guidelines. Regardless, if an employee becomes ill or injured on the job, workers’ compensation benefits typically play an important part in the recovery process. These insurance payments are designed to pay for medical expenses and related costs while also providing lost income from work while the worker is on the mend.
Source: StarTribune.com, “Willmar pipemaker fined over Ill. plant,” Dee DePass, Nov. 7, 2012
