Region 4 News Release: 11-455-ATL (161)
April 19, 2011
Contact: Michael D'Aquino Michael Wald
Phone: 404-562-2076 404-562-2078
E-mail: d'aquino.michael@dol.gov wald.michael@dol.gov

US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Stone Mountain, Ga., beauty
manufacturer with serious violations, proposes more than $45,000 in penalties

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued beauty products manufacturer House of Cheatham Inc. 16 safety and health citations after a December 2010 inspection at its Stone Mountain facility. Proposed penalties total $45,495.

The penalties are for 11 serious citations. Violations include failing to provide guardrails where fall hazards were greater than 4 feet; have lockout/tagout procedures to prevent accidental start-up of a Bartell machine, which processes, mixes and bottles beauty products; conduct training for the lockout/tagout program; apply an energy isolation device to equipment that was being serviced; provide training for powered industrial truck operators; properly store oxygen and acetylene cylinders; ensure electrical equipment was used correctly and the junction box was affixed to a secure surface; allow material to be stored in front of electrical panels; permit electrical panels with unused openings to expose live electrical parts; and use electrical receptacles unapproved for damp or wet conditions. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

House of Cheatham also received five other-than-serious health citations, with no proposed penalties, for failing to perform a hazard assessment of personal protective equipment; allow employees to wear tight-fitting respirators without a written respiratory protection program; provide employees with a medical evaluation who were wearing a tight-fitted respirator; ensure employees wearing respirators were fit-tested prior to use or when there was a change in physical appearance; and provide retraining for employees wearing respirators. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

"This inspection identified a broad range of hazards that, if uncorrected, expose employees to potential falls, electric shock and machine injuries," said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office. "It is the employer's responsibility to ensure workers' safety and health."

The company, which manufactures products such as hair conditioner and body lotions, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The site was inspected by OSHA's Atlanta-East office, 2183 Northlake Parkway, Building 7, Suite 110, Tucker, Ga. 30084; telephone 770-493-6644. To report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille, audio tape or disc from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755.