Labor Department fines Leetonia business for safety, healthy violations

LEETONIA — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today cited Polychem OMS Systems LLC, a specialty manufacturer of equipment for the production and processing of metals and plastic products in Leetonia, with 30 safety and health violations, including exposing workers to amputation hazards.

Proposed penalties total $103,500.

OSHA initiated an inspection in September based on a complaint.

Twenty-one serious safety violations involve failing to establish a lockout and tagout program to control the energy sources of equipment; remove damaged web slings from service; provide machine guarding on lathes, blades, grinders and other equipment; provide personal protective equipment for electrical work; inspect trucks before use; remove defective vehicles from service; and train workers to operate powered industrial trucks.

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