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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8151
American Rockwool, Inc., is agreeing to extensive safety and health
improvements at its two plants, including the one at Nolanville, Tex., where
six employees were made ill by potentially lethal carbon monoxide gas, and to
pay the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) $412,300 in
penalties, OSHA announced today.
OSHA cited the company on Sept. 11, 1997, at Nolanville for willful
violations of the confined spaces standard and a serious violation of the
hazard communication standard. OSHA initially proposed penalties totaling
$824,600 but agreed to reductions based on the company's agreement to improve
safety and health.
"This agreement includes important provisions to protect the safety and
health of Rockwool employees," Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman said.
"Following the OSHA confined spaces standard would have prevented exposing
employees to deadly gases. All workers need the assurance that they are working
in safe and healthful conditions."
American Rockwool, one of 10 leading manufacturers of commercial and
residential insulation, employs 92 workers in its manufacturing facility in
Nolanville, a small town near Austin. Its headquarters are in Spring Hope,
N.C., where it has a plant with 60 employees.
"This agreement avoids the burden and cost of prolonged litigation and
also furthers the efforts of American Rockwool and OSHA to provide a safe
workplace," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and
Health Charles N. Jeffress.
At Nolanville, the firm uses cupola furnaces in manufacturing rock wool
insulation. On March 13, 1997, six employees were sickened by carbon monoxide
gases while either doing maintenance work in a cupola or during rescue
attempts. The fire department rescued two of them.
OSHA cited the firm for 11 willful violations (one for each of 11
employees who had been exposed to the gases) for lack of employee training on
entering permit-required confined spaces; two willful violations for failing to
have a permit-required confined space program and failing to post danger signs;
and one serious violation for lack of training in hazard communication.
OSHA's standard on permit-required confined spaces outlines practices
and procedures to protect workers from the dangers of lack of oxygen or toxic
atmospheres when they enter a confined space such as the furnace cupola.
Under the settlement agreement the company will:
- Implement a comprehensive, ongoing confined space program in all its
corporate facilities which have confined spaces subject to the OSHA standard by
Oct. 31.
- Provide training in confined space policies and procedures for all
employees whose work is regulated by the OSHA standard by Oct. 31 and maintain
records of the training;
- Communicate with employees about its compliance activities under the
confined space standards and the terms of the settlement agreement.
- Conduct a comprehensive safety and health audit by an independent
professional in the Nolanville plant in order to identify and eliminate
occupational safety and health hazards. The professional is to be approved by
OSHA and the audit is to be completed by Dec. 31. The company will then have 60
days to correct any deficiencies found by the audit.
- Follow the principles of OSHA's Voluntary Guidelines for Safety and
Health Program Management. This includes affirming the fundamental importance
of safety and health protection for every Rockwool employee; establishing
safety and health goals and objectives; holding managers and supervisors
accountable for achieving those objectives; and committing sufficient resources
and safety and health personnel to conduct annual safety and health program
reviews and periodic worksite inspections for hazards at the Nolanville
facility.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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