Amite steel casting plant handed OSHA citations

Bradken Inc. has been cited with 27 “serious” violations and seven “other-than-serious” violations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for exposing workers to safety and health violations at the company’s steel alloy casting facility in Amite. Proposed penalties total $146,000. OSHA says its Baton Rouge Area Office began an inspection into the Foulks Lane facility as part of two national emphasis programs: one on amputations and another on primary metals. Inspectors found that workers melting and pouring casts were exposed to mechanical, welding, electrical and confined space hazards, as well as a lack of machine guarding. “Employers are responsible for recognizing the hazards that exist in their facilities and fixing them,” says OSHA Baton Rouge Area Director Dorinda Folse in a prepared statement. “Failing to take precautions against safety and health hazards unnecessarily puts workers at risk of serious injuries and illnesses.” Bradken, a global supplier headquartered in Waratah, Australia, employs about 270 workers at the Amite facility producing large steel alloy castings for the mining, freight rail and steel industries. Details on the citations can be seen online here, and here.