$50K in fines given for Bristol company's safety issues

Source: Yahoo

BRISTOL -- A Bristol plastic molding company faces more than $50,000 in proposed fines for multiple serious violations following a workplace inspection.

BD Custom Manufacturing was assessed $53,600 in proposed fines for violations found during an inspection by the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The safety order and penalty notification was recently published online after being issued May 29, following inspections carried out at 1100 Bloomingdale Drive between February and April.

The single largest fine was a $35,000 proposed penalty for an issue categorized as both "knowing" and "serious." A lack of guarding on extrusion machines in nine production lines exposed employees to potential caught-in hazards when placing plastic parts, according to the order.

Three proposed penalties of $4,200 were also given along with a fine for $2,400. Two serious violations with no proposed penalty were handed down which were corrected at the time of inspection.

The other safety violations also involved a lack of guards on machinery, exposing employees to possible injury by being either caught or struck. One violation cited an amputation hazard caused by part of a band saw that was not adjusted correctly for the plastic items being cut.

A $3,600 proposed fine was given for an electric shock hazard caused by the use of two 110-volt extension cords to permanently power an automatic router.