Crown USA Inc. could have prevented the death of a worker at its plant in Woodbury, Ga., according to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).
Crown USA, a maker of plastic pavement marking products, is being fined $98,699 for eight serious and six lesser violations found during an investigation of the site.
The OSHA report said Crown USA could have prevented fatal injuries to a 37-year-old employee by following required safety rules designed to keep machines from starting up during maintenance. The employee, a maintenance technician, was crushed inside an unlocked hooding palletizer while servicing the machine on Dec. 4, 2023.
No details of the incident were included in a June 20 news release. Officials with OSHA and with Crown USA could not be reached for comment.
"Employers must understand federal workplace safety regulations exist to help prevent tragedies like the one that occurred at Crown USA Inc.," OSHA Atlanta-West Area Director Jeffery Stawowy said in a news release.
OSHA determined the company violated federal regulations by:
• Failing to use adequate machine guarding to protect employees from struck-by and crushed-by hazards.
• Failing to train employees on energy control procedures and maintain training records.
• Failing to conduct inspections of energy control procedures.
• Exposing workers to serious respiratory hazards by not protecting them from accumulations of airborne particles of powdered pigment and other types of dust throughout the facility.
• Not providing personal protective equipment that prevents eye and skin irritation.
• Failing to label containers properly according to hazardous communication standards.
Crown USA has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.