KENTON, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Plastic Systems LLC in Kenton with five safety violations after a worker was injured when struck by a forklift. The September complaint inspection has resulted in proposed penalties totaling $89,000.
“Employers are responsible for ensuring workers are properly trained in the operation of equipment and that equipment, such as forklifts, are maintained in good working order,” said Kim Nelson, area director for OSHA in Toledo.
A willful violation was cited for failing to remove unsafe forklifts from service. A willful violation is one commit ted with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.
Three serious violations were cited for failing to complete forklift inspections, retrain workers in forklift operations following an incident where an injury occurred and operate a forklift in a safe manner. 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.
Plastic Systems also has been cited with one other-than-serious violation for failing to have name and capacity plates on forklifts. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.
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