June 5, 2008
OSHA proposes more than $77,000 in fines against Sodexho Inc. for safety and health hazards at Buffalo, N.Y., industrial laundry BUFFALO, N.Y. — Inadequate employee safeguards at a Buffalo, N.Y., industrial laundry have resulted in a total of $77,125 in proposed fines from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Sodexho Inc. was cited for 13 alleged repeat and serious violations of safety and health standards following OSHA inspections at the 60 Grider St. location begun in January 2008 in response to employee complaints.
“These citations address employees’ exposure to a variety of hazards including falls, burns, electrocution, explosions, confined spaces, respiratory hazards, bloodborne pathogens, lack of personal protective equipment and being caught in unguarded or unexpectedly energized driers and other machinery,” said Arthur Dube, OSHA’s area director in Buffalo. “It is of paramount importance that these conditions be addressed effectively and quickly.”
OSHA issued six repeat citations, carrying $63,100 in proposed fines, for the lack of procedures and training to prevent the unexpected startup of dryers and other equipment while employees were working on them; accumulations of dust, lint and debris on work surfaces or in work areas; using an electrical extension cord in place of permanent wiring; no bloodborne pathogen training for employees exposed to contaminated clothing and sharp instruments; and no log for recording injuries from sharp instruments.
A repeat citation is issued when an employer has previously been cited for similar hazards and those citations have become final. In this case, the repeat citations stem from citations issued in 2005 and 2006 for Sodexho facilities in Pittsburgh, Penn.; Cleveland, Ohio; and Portland, Maine.
The Buffalo laundry was also issued seven serious citations, with $14,025 in fines, for unguarded open pits and runways; unguarded moving conveyor parts; failure to identify and label confined spaces; lack of personal protective equipment; using an electrical conduit cover as a walkway; and inadequate respiratory protection. A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Buffalo Area Office; telephone 716-551-3053.
OSHA operates a vigorous enforcement program, conducting more than 39,000 inspections in fiscal year 2007 and exceeding its inspection goals in each of the last eight years. In fiscal year 2007, OSHA found nearly 89,000 violations of its standards and regulations.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. OSHA’s role is to promote the safety and health of America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
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