OSHA fines glass manufacturer for worker burn accident

A glass manufacturer is facing proposed penalties totaling $122,000 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration following an accident in which an employee suffered third-degree burns on his legs and hands.

The 34-year-old machine operator was injured in July when molten glass bottles fell on the production floor at the Park Hills, Missouri-based Piramal Glass USA Inc. facility and ignited oil residue that had leaked from the machines, according to an agency news release issued on Thursday. The employee was not provided fire-retardant protective clothing and the fire spread to his pant leg — causing injures that have left him unable to return to work, according to OSHA.

An inspection by OSHA found that Piramal Glass failed to follow its own company and federal safety policies that could have prevented the injury. The agency cited the company for one willful, one repeated and six serious safety violations last week.

“A worker suffered excruciating injuries that could affect his health for years because Piramal Glass ignored company policy to require flame-resistant clothing for workers on the hot end of the bottle-making line,” Bill McDonald, OSHA's area director in St. Louissaid in a statement. “It's not enough for employers to have good policies on the books — they must abide by them. The company needs to develop and comply with a comprehensive policy on personal protective clothing.”

OSHA inspectors found that the company failed to train workers on health hazards for workplace chemicals, a violation the agency previously cited at the same facility in March 2014, according to the news release.

The company also failed to keep the floor clean of oil leaking from machines, train workers on personal protective equipment requirements, provide fire extinguisher training, develop safety procedures for employees' response to jammed bottles on the production line and ensure proper laundering of protective clothing.

Piramal Glass is one of the largest manufacturers of glass for pharmaceuticals and perfumery businesses and also has production facilities in India, Sri Lanka and Flat River, Missouri, according to the news release.

A company spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.