OSHA cites Jersey City food manufacturer after worker dies after 24-foot fall

Employer name: Wei-Chuan U.S.A. Inc.

Inspection site: 80 Amity St., Jersey City, New Jersey

Citations issued: On June 22, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to Wei-Chuan U.S.A. Inc. for one willful, one repeat and sixserious violations.

Inspection findings: OSHA initiated an inspection on Dec. 27, 2015, after the Jersey City Police Department notified the agency of a worker's death at the company's Jersey City food distribution warehouse. Inspectors found a 60-year-old warehouse supervisor died after falling 24 feet from a top-tier warehouse rack. Inspectors learned the company knowingly allowed forklifts to elevate employees on pallets as they conducted inventory.

OSHA cited the company with a willful violation for its failure to use an approved platform for raising employees on forklifts, and failure to provide fall protection. Hazard communication training deficiencies resulted in the repeat citation, for which OSHA cited Wei-Chuan previously in February 2011.

The agency found the serious violations were due to employees being allowed to improperly climb warehouse racks, lack of hand protection while handling hazardous materials, electrical hazards, hazard communication deficiencies and lack of forklift training.

Quote: "Wei-Chuan U.S.A. failed to provide required fall protection and ensure its forklift practices were safe, resulting in a preventable fatality. This tragedy could have been prevented if the company used basic safeguards and properly trained its employees to recognize workplace hazards," said Brian Flynn, acting director at OSHA's Parsippany Area Office.

Proposed penalties: $107,000

The citations can be viewed at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/Wei-Chuan_1114139.pdf

Wei-Chuan U.S.A. Inc. is a food manufacturing and distribution company that produces frozen food products and is headquartered in Bell Gardens, California.

The employer has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independentOccupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  has been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

Related Articles:

Workers' Compensation: Elizabeth NJ contractor again exposes ... May 9, 2016 ... Elizabeth NJ contractor again exposes workers to dangerous risk of falls. OSHA finds at downtown Jersey City build site. Cajamarca ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

NHTSA says Chrysler's expanded air bag recall falls short Dec 8, 2014 ... NHTSA says Chrysler's expanded air bag recall falls short. Today's post was shared by Take Justice Back and comes from www.freep.com ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Workers' Compensation: OSHA cites Brick, NJ-based contractor for ... Aug 30, 2012 ... OSHA cites Brick, NJ-based contractor for continuing to expose workers to falls and other hazards at Secaucus work site. The U.S. Department ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Workers' Compensation: Drums with hazardous waste removed from ... Feb 21, 2015 ... Drums with hazardous waste removed from industrial ruins near Paterson's Great Falls. NJ's toxic legacy continues. Today's ppost is shared ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

OSHA fines Johns Manville after employee suffers hand amputation

Employer name: Johns Manville

Inspection site: 200 West Industrial Blvd., Cleburne, Texas 76033

Citations issued: June 29, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration began an inspection Feb. 11, 2016, after reports that a machine severed an employee's hand at the Johns Manville Cleburne manufacturing facility as he tried to clear a jam in a machine. Investigators issued citations for two repeat and three serious violations. The agency issued repeat citations for lacking machine guards on a conveyor to protect workers from in-running nip point hazards and for allowing an unguarded and protruding shaft to project more than one-half its diameter. OSHA cited the company for the same or similar violations at its locations in Ohio and New Jersey.

Serious violations include:

• Energy-control procedures did not clearly outline steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing machines to control hazardous energy.
• When locking out for energy control, the company's periodic inspection did not include a review between the inspector and each authorized employee.
• The employer failed to train authorized employees adequately to recognize hazards associated with hazardous energy.

OSHA initiated the investigation under a National Emphasis Program for Amputation.

Proposed Penalties: $49,600

Quote: "Johns Manville's flawed procedures to control hazardous energy sources and a lack of machine guards ultimately led to an amputation," said Jack A. Rector, OSHA's area director in Fort Worth. "The company should have evaluated its lockout/tagout program and provided proper machine guarding. It is simply unacceptable that a 34-year-old father of four young children suffered a gruesome injury, and has had life forever changed by an incident that was preventable."

Link to the citations: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/JohnsManville_1125065.pdf

….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  has been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

Related Articles:

Workers' Compensation: NJ Company Fined $52,000 by OSHA for ... Mar 10, 2016 ... Investigation findings: On Jan. 19, 2016, OSHA responded after being notified of an imminent danger created by unprotected trench hazards as ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Workers' Compensation: OSHA: 50% of Employers Not Reporting ... Mar 21, 2016 ... OSHA bases this conclusion on several factors, including injury claim numbers provided to us by state workers' compensation programs. workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Workers' Compensation: OSHA Fine NJ Contractor $43,000 for Fall ... Feb 26, 2016 ... OSHA finds Middlesex contractor exposed workers to fall hazards after investigation of roofer's death at Parsippany jobsite S&S Roofing Inc., ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Workers' Compensation: OSHA Settles with Anheuser-Busch of New ... Mar 31, 2016 ... US Labor Department settlement: Anheuser-Busch of New Jersey agreesto enhance safety for workers at its Jersey City, Bronx distributorships workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Early screening spots emergency workers at greater risk of mental illness

Today's post is shared from sciencedaily.com

Emergency services workers who are more likely to suffer episodes of mental ill health later in their careers can be spotted in the first week of training. Researchers wanted to see if they could identify risk factors that made people more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress (PTSD) or major depression (MD) when working in emergency services.

Researchers from the University of Oxford and King's College London wanted to see if they could identify risk factors that made people more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress (PTSD) or major depression (MD) when working in emergency services.

Dr Jennifer Wild from the University of Oxford explained: 'Emergency workers are regularly exposed to stressful and traumatic situations and some of them will experience periods of mental illness. Some of the factors that make that more likely can be changed through resilience training, reducing the risk of PTSD and depression. We wanted to test whether we could identify such risk factors, making it possible to spot people at higher risk early in their training and to develop interventions that target these risk factors to strengthen their resilience.'

Click here to read the entire article.

….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  has been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

Related articles:

Workers' Compensation: Just Go to The Emergency Room May 21, 2013 ... Emergency room medicine is becoming an easy avenue for work-related medical care as employers and insurance carriers keep restricting ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

The Urgent Need for Workers Compensation Flu Pandemic Planning Sep 15, 2009 ... The Urgent Need for Workers Compensation Flu Pandemic Planning ... Additionally, the President may issue an emergency declaration under ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Workers' Compensation: Who Is Paying the Bills for Occupational ... Aug 29, 2013 ... A recently published study from the US Department of Health and Human Services (NIOSH) reports that 45% of emergency room medical ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Workers' Compensation: Ungerer workers exposed to chemical ... May 31, 2016 ... 27, 2016, from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency alleging Ungerer & Company employees suffered respiratory distress from ... workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July

 “Where liberty dwells, there is my country.”

Benjamin Franklin

US Worker Infected by Zika Virus - Is the Workers' Compensation System Ready?

The emerging viral infection, Zika, is now begun to plaque US workers. The Pennsylvania Allegheny County Department of Health (ACDH) reports that a researcher was infected by a needle stick wound. This is the 4th confirmed case of Zika virus reported by the ACHD.

The Social Security Financial Report: An Insight Into the Future

Change is coming to the Social Security Disability program based upon the The 2016 Trustees Report that was published this week. It projects that the future finances of the Social Security Disability Trust Fund will require additional funding to remain solvent.

Union City NJ contractor allowed dangerous hazards that led to worker's fatal fall

Union City contractor allowed dangerous hazards that led
to worker's fatal fall while removing siding at Bayonne home

Employer name: Bolivar Enterprises LLC, 902 Central Ave., Union City, New Jersey

Citations issued: On June 3, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations for nine serious violations.