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Foundry faces safety citations for amputation and other hazards

Posted On: Jun. 23, 2016 12:00 AM CST

An Ohio foundry has been cited by and is facing $143,150 in proposed penalties from federal workplace safety regulators for exposing workers to amputation, hearing loss and respiratory damage hazards.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued 15 citations to Franklin, Ohio-based A&B Foundry & Machining L.L.C. for continuing to expose workers to these hazards despite their identification in a previous OSHA inspection in 2012, the agency said Thursday in a statement.

OSHA issued 12 repeat, two serious and one other-than-serious citations for violations including allowing a machine to operate without safety guards, failing to review procedures to prevent unintentional operation of machinery during service and maintenance periodically for accuracy, and allowing multiple violations of respiratory protection standards, according to the release. The company also did not train workers about noise hazards or evaluate them annually for occupational exposure to noise, failed to train employees on hazardous chemicals used in the facility, and did not require workers to wear personal protective equipment.

“A&B Foundry continues to maintain an environment where employees are exposed to serious noise, dangerous machinery and debilitating respiratory hazards,” Ken Montgomery, area director of OSHA's Cincinnati office, said in the statement. “The company needs to re-evaluate its safety and health programs and ensure workers are provided the training and equipment necessary to protect them from injury and illness on the job.”

A company spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.