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All-Feed Processing and Packaging received several citations from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for exposing workers to combustible and respiratory dust hazards.
Based on the most recent inspection, workers were exposed to combustible pea flour dust, which can “ignite quickly without warning and cause catastrophic damage,” according to an OSHA spokesperson.
The Illinois-based pet food manufacturer failed to install a dust collection system with explosion protection, which would have helped minimize both the respiratory and combustion hazards.
OSHA inspectors also noted that company’s electronic equipment and forklifts were not certified for use in combustible-dust atmospheres, increasing chances of a combustible event even further.
Can Breathing in Dust Give Me Lung Problems?
In addition to combustion hazards, floating pea flour dust could also cause workplace-induced asthma and other respiratory illnesses. All-Feed was cited for exposing workers to the dust hazards without mandating respiratory protection, a willful violation of OSHA guidelines.
All-Feed was charged with one repeat and five willful violations, accruing fines totaling $254,000. They have 15 days from the date of violation to comply with or contest OSHA’s findings.
OSHA regulations are meant to protect workers from workplace hazards, but some corporations fail to comply even after numerous citations. If your employer is jeopardizing your health and safety by ignoring safety regulations, call Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC to discuss your case. Here, an employee’s right to work safely is our top priority.
[Did You Know: Between 1980 and 2005, 119 workers were killed and 718 were injured due to combustible dust incidents.]
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys