Cal/OSHA cited a company $200,825 for multiple serious and willful violations and two professional employer organizations (PEO) following the April death of a 26-year-old temporary worker who became entangled with the exposed rotating shaft of a mixer while mixing industrial adhesive. Cal/OSHA sanctioned the company for failing to identify and safeguard against the hazards of working near the mixer.
Cal/OSHA’s investigation resulted in citations to the company for six serious violations, two of which are considered willful serious, as well as one general violation. The willful violations were issued for failure to properly set up and maintain operation guards for the mixer involved; and for the failure to follow its own Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) provisions regarding the identification and correction of serious hazards posed by the mixer. The investigation also revealed the company continued to operate the mixer despite knowing that the partial guard on the mixer exposed workers to dangerous moving parts. The temporary worker, a man hired by a staffing agency, was pulled into the unguarded mixer shaft and was unable to free himself from the shaft. He subsequently died from his injuries. One of the serious violations issued was for the company’s failure to ensure that sleeves on employee coveralls fit tightly so clothing would not get caught in machinery.
Cal/OSHA also cited two professional employer organizations (PEO). One company is an online PEO providing temporary workers for
the company and the other company is the area PEO, designated to conduct OSHA related activities for the staffing company. The PEOs were cited $1,500 each for failure to implement an effective written IIPP.
CLICK HERE for the CAL-OSHA release.