Milwaukee, Wis. (Manufacturing.net) — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced a citation for Milwaukee, Wis.-based Shindler Tire Recycling LLC after the company failed to follow up on 12 safety violations discovered in an August 2011 inspection. OSHA’s Milwaukee branch says the company did not act on developing a written hazard communication program and training workers on its requirements. It has proposed a fine of $53,856.
Shindler Tire Recycling operates a recycling center in which rubber tires are shredded and processed through grinders to make a compound suitable for burning by another company.
The company has received eight repeat violations for not addressing basic housekeeping and dust accumulations; inadequate guarding on machinery; storing tires in a manner that created a collapse hazard; failure to have material safety data sheets; and a failure to cover unused openings on electrical equipment. These repeat violations are due to previous citations for the same or similar violation within the last five years.
One other serious violation — which indicates a substantial chance that death or serious injury could occur that an employer should be aware of — was related to the failure to enclose horizontal shafting.
OSHA says the company has 15 days to respond to the citations and penalties, either in the form of compliance or a contesting of the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA also encourages workers to report fatalities, serious injuries or situatiosn posing an immediate danger to employees to call 800-321-OSHA.
