The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) alleges five safety violations at Plastic Systems LLC in Kenton after a forklift tine hit and injured a worker last year.

OSHA conducted an inspection on 5 September at the 80,000 sqft. (7,432 sqm) Kenton plant and has proposed penalties of USD89,500 including USD70,000 for failure to remove unsafe forklifts from service.

OSHA says "a willful violation is one committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements or with plain indifference to worker safety and health".

Serious violations involved failures to complete forklift inspections and retrain workers in forklift operations following occurrence of an incident. Another violation related to failure to have name and capacity plates on forklifts.

Romeo, Michigan-based custom injection molder Plastic Systems has until 5 February to enter into an agreement with OSHA during an informal conference in OSHA's Toledo, Ohio office or file a notice of intent to contest the penalties.

"Employers are responsible for ensuring workers are properly trained in the operation of equipment and that (units of) equipment, such as forklifts, are maintained in good working order," says Kim Nelson, area director for OSHA in Toledo.

OSHA, an agency of the US Department of Labor, previously cited Plastic Systems operations in El Paso, Texas in 2011 and Kenton in 2010. OSHA and Plastic Systems reached an agreement on penalties of USD62,700 following an El Paso inspection that found eight serious, three repeat and one other-than-serious safety and health violations.

Earlier, OSHA and Plastic Systems reached an agreement on penalties of USD9,150 relating to violations in the Kenton plant, including lock-out tag-out issues.