OSHA cites auto parts manufacturer after injuries reveal hazards

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday said it has cited a Georgia auto parts manufacturer for exposing workers to electrical, fall and noise hazards, with proposed penalties totaling $308,906.

OSHA inspected Buford, Georgia-based ElringKlinger USA Inc. on May 2 after an employee performing maintenance on a screen print machine was injured. In another incident on July 7, a second worker suffered an amputation of the left index finger while making an adjustment on a punch press machine, OSHA said in a statement.

Investigations of the incidents resulted in 29 serious and three other-than-serious violations, including failing to install machine guarding, preventing unauthorized employees from performing tasks that require the control of electrical hazards, and protecting workers from excessive noise exposure, according to OSHA.

“The injuries these hazards caused could have been prevented if this company had implemented required safety procedures,” OSHA Area Director William Fulcher in Atlanta said in the statement. “Safe workplaces can be achieved if employees are properly protected and receive effective training.”

The inspections were part of the agency’s regional emphasis program for safety hazards in the auto parts industry, according to the statement.

Officials with ElringKlinger could not be reached for comment.