Ice company may face OSHA fines ($(90,000) for 20 alleged violations

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS01/80521020/1002/NEWS

Stephanie Veale • Staff writer • May 21, 2008

A Perinton ice company may have to pay $90,000 in fines for 20 alleged safety violations, a federal agency said today.

Arctic Glacier’s alleged violations, outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, include allowing untrained workers to load a 7,000-pound forklift into an elevator with a capacity of 4,000 pounds.

The two workers were seriously injured on Nov. 29 when the elevator they were in failed, dropping 10 feet and trapping them inside. The accident prompted OSHA to launch an investigation, the findings of which were released today.

OSHA also says Arctic Glacier, 900 Turk Hill Road, has major deficiencies in its process safety management program. OSHA believes employees at Arctic Glacier are not properly safeguarded against hazards associated with the 10,000 pounds of ammonia they must handle in the plant’s refrigeration system.

OSHA notified Arctic Glacier of the citation on May 9 and the company has until the first week of June to respond, said Ted Fitzgerald, a spokesman for OSHA. Prior to the November incident, Arctic Glacier had no previous OSHA violations.

A serious citation is levied when “death or serious harm” could result from a hazard that an employer knew or should have known, according to federal regulations.
The inspection found not all employees had been informed about updates to the company’s emergency response plan, there were incomplete inspections and testing of process equipment, incomplete responses to process compliance audits, and other alleged infractions.

[e-mail]