One of the biggest makers of commercial flooring in the U.S faces $300,000 in fines for 16 safety violations.
Ecore International has been fined by OSHA after an investigation revealed several failures at its plant in Mexia, Texas.
Investigations by the OSHA and the Department of Labor found one wilful violation and 15 serious violations.
The inspection found the company made employees stand on a forklift’s elevated tines to reach work areas and failed to prevent small fires fueled by improper buildup of combustible dust.
It also permitted potentially explosive atmospheres to exist, lacked safe areas for welding and exposed employees to slip, trip and fall hazards.
Untrained workers were also allowed to operate forklifts and the firm failed to ensure machines had required safety guards.
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OSHA Area Director Monica Camacho in Austin, Texas, said: “Ecore International must extend the innovation it credits for its company’s success to the safety and health of the people who help make and sell its products.
“At the company’s Mexia facility, our inspectors found employees forced to climb atop forklifts to do their jobs, workers exposed to potential dangers of fire and explosion, and many unprotected from the risks of falls and unguarded machines, all of which provides a formula for serious or fatal injuries.”
The company faces $299,591 in proposed penalties.
“Ecore International must extend the innovation it credits for its company’s success to the safety and health of the people who help make and sell its products”
A separate investigation in May 2024 at a new Ecore facility in Ozark, Alabama, OSHA inspectors found similar machine guard hazards unchecked and employees exposed to potential electrocution and amputation dangers.
Camacho added: “A successful enterprise like Ecore International has the resources to establish and follow a comprehensive safety and health program and to address hazards proactively before disaster strikes.”
Ecore International Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of citation and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
