A federal agency on Thursday cited Milwaukee manufacturer D.R. Diedrich & Co. with one willful and 18 serious safety violations following an employee’s death in February.
The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed penalties of $169,495 to the leather manufacturer. D.R. Diedrich has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director in Milwaukee, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
The citations stem from the Feb. 1, 2015 incident in which a 59-year-old maintenance worker was crushed and killed by a 1,500-pound steel roller.
OSHA said D.R. Diedrich failed to use proper safety guards that would have stopped the roller on a tanning machine from moving during service and maintenance. The man, who was inspecting the machine’s bearing, suffered fatal head and neck injuries. He was a 13-year employee.
The manufacturer was cited with one willful violation because it “failed to prevent unintentional operation of machines during service and maintenance.”
“Too often, we cite companies that ignore machine hazards in the hope that a tragic death like this one can be avoided,” said Christine Zortman, OSHA’s area director in Milwaukee. “Machine hazards are among the most frequently cited by OSHA. Manufacturer-installed guards and industry-standard locking devices protect workers from operating machinery. Yet, each year thousands of workers are injured or killed because employers ignore machine hazards and do not train workers on safety procedures.”
Inspectors noted 19 serious safety violations at the Milwaukee facility, including:
-Lack of machine guards.
-Not training workers on machine safety procedures or evaluating procedures annually.
-Absence of electrical safety work practices, including exposing workers to energized parts, and failing to provide barriers and protective clothing to prevent workers from contacting live electrical parts and improper wiring.
-Failing to install standard railings to guard against falls of up to five feet from platforms and floor openings.
-Modifying forklifts without manufacturer permission.
-Annual audiograms for workers exposed to an average of 85 decibels annually were delinquent.
-Not evaluating and providing training for confined space hazards, such as chrome tanks.
-Failing to comply with respiratory protection requirements.
D.R. Diedrich is a manufacturer of tanned leather for use in the automotive, furniture and shoe industries. The company has about 130 employees.
The president of the company was not available to give a comment.
