OSHA has proposed penalties of USD287,212 in its citation of a Long Island, New York manufacturer. OSHA cited US Nonwovens Corp, a home and personal care fabric product manufacturer with a facility in Hauppauge, New York, for nine serious and four repeat safety and health violations.

The agency cited Nonwovens for failing to train and evaluate forklift operators on how to safely operate equipment and to provide training on lockout/tagout procedures, as well as a lack of machine guarding.

"Companies are required by law to train employees and provide appropriate measures to protect workers from workplace injuries," says OSHA Long Island area director Anthony Ciuffo.

The agency also cited the company for exposing employees to fire and smoke inhalation hazards, failing to report an amputation and provide illness and injury records to OSHA in a timely manner, and failing to store materials securely and repair damaged storage racks.

OSHA inspected the Hauppauge plant after an employee suffered a fractured hand. Investigators determined the employee's injury occurred when his hand became caught in a fabric-softener sheet-cutting machine.

The inspection also resulted in citations for operating a forklift truck with a broken propane bracket latch, leaving the truck's propane tank unsecured. Nonwovens also failed to ensure a forklift operator was competent in industrial truck operations through training and evaluation.

Nonwovens was also reprimanded for four violations previously cited at the Hauppauge plant and another facility in Brentwood, New York. The repeat violations included not properly training or evaluating forklift operators for their knowledge of industrial truck operations.