Details

Parent Category: Safety Info Posts

Category: PSM and RMP Citations/Analysis

Published: 30 March 2015

After two years of litigation to correct dozens of hazards that might have had catastrophic effects on its workers and the surrounding community, the refrigerated food warehouse has agreed to make health and safety improvements. The company will also end its fight against $197,000 in penalties assessed in 2013 by OSHA.  A joint inspection by OSHA and Hawaii's Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Occupational Safety and Health Division found nearly every emergency exit door or route locked, sealed shut, blocked or impossible to use. OSHA found that the violations were a willful disregard of employee safety. Inspectors also identified hazards related to use of ammonia as a refrigerant. In all, OSHA identified dozens of violations in February 2013.  After the business contested the citations, OSHA took all the actions necessary to force the warehouse operator to remedy the serious violations it found. Its pursuit included two years of court filings before the company agreed to make changes and accept its financial penalties.

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