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The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced fines for safety violations at a rifle manufacturing facility in New Jersey. Henry Repeating Arms, one the nation’s biggest rifle manufacturers, is facing four repeat and four serious safety violations after OSHA officials inspected its facility in September 2012. Proposed fines against Henry total $72,000.
The repeat violations included a failure to provide a respiratory protection program for lead exposure, failure to provide personal protective equipment (respirators) and failure to ensure surfaces were decontaminated. Henry was cited for the similar violations in 2008.
OSHA issued other citations for failure to implement a hearing conservation program as well as a failure to monitor decibel levels inside the facility.
“Exposure to lead and noise in the firearms manufacturing industry has been well-known for decades,” said OSHA Director Kris Hoffman. “OSHA’s standards must be followed to protect workers from exposure that can lead to lead-related illness and occupational hearing loss.”
Henry Repeating Arms officials announced plans to take immediate action.
“We are investing in a new state-of-the-art test-fire facility that will cost us approximately $500,00, which will alleviate this issue along with other internal measures,” said Henry Repeating Arms owner Anthony Imperato. “We have also retained the services of an OSHA consultant to keep us compliant.”
It is good to see this company taking the violations seriously. Please contact our firm for a free consultation if you need to file for workers comp.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys