It happened here in North Alabama as a matter of fact in Tuscumbia Alabama, a landscaping products company is facing more than $500,000 in penalties for violating federal safety guidelines.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that inspections at a company that has facilities in three states resulted in 142 workplace citations for safety and health violations. This includes 59 at its bark and stone plants in Tuscumbia, which is the company’s headquarters.
OSHA has proposed penalties totaling $576,750, this includes $260,900 for violations at the Tuscumbia plants. While the other penalties were incurred at the Mississippi and Georgia facilities.
The penalties were assessed for violations which include allowing employees to operate, service and clean machinery without procedures and protective devices in place. These measures are required to ensure workers are not injured by the machines. Other penalties were assessed because of failure to provide proper fall protection and failure to provide proper safety training for employees. While this seems quite extensive already they also failed to keep workplace injury logs.
Company management has consistently displayed a systemic indifference to the safety and health of their employees. An OSHA representative is quoted as saying that “When this is done it usually results in a dangerous work environment” and most people in safety know that this is very true.
Of course management disputes this claim but the proof is in the pudding and the pudding here is remarkably clear. Although one can’t deny that they may respect an honor their employees, their head has been in the sand when it comes to safety and following OSHA guidelines.
According to one report a spokesman for the Department of Labor’s regional office in Atlanta, said that OSHA inspectors initially planned to visit a single plant but decided after this inspection that follow up inspections were needed at the other plants of the company.
Maybe it is hard for the company to see at this juncture of the investigation, but this inspection will likely save lives in the future. Could you imagine being part of this company and having to cope with an unnecessary death in the work place.
Just My Opinion
Joe Russell
