OSHA cites Quality Trailers with 15 violations

Staff report

SALEM

Quality Trailers Enterprise Inc. was cited with 15 serious safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The violations included a purported lack of personal protective equipment and exposing workers to machine-guarding hazards, according to the OSHA release. The proposed fines would total $55,300.

“Quality Trailers Enterprises has a responsibility to train and protect workers from known hazards, such as noise and machinery in its manufacturing facility,” Howard Eberts, OSHA’s area director in Cleveland, said in the release.

There was no one at the company Tuesday who could talk about the citations.

Ten of the violations involved lack of machine guarding including failing to develop a lockout/tagout program to control the release of hazardous energy while servicing and maintaining equipment and training workers in the program; lack of fire- extinguisher training; failing to train workers in the operation of powered industrial trucks; not providing welding shields and curtains and exposing workers to live wiring.

The five additional violations related to exposure to noise. They included a lack of personal protective equipment; improper oxygen-cylinder storage; allowing combustible paint residue to accumulate in the paint booth and failing to conduct a workplace hazard-assessment program and to develop and train workers on a hazard-communication program. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. The company has 15 business days to contest the penalties.