Region 5 News Release: 12-420-CHI
March 26, 2012
Contact: Scott Allen Rhonda Burke
Phone: 312-353-6976
Email: allen.scott@dol.gov burke.rhonda@dol.gov

US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Ohio-based Jay-Em Aerospace
for failing to protect workers from safety and health hazards

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Jay-Em Aerospace Inc. with 18 safety and health violations, including one willful safety violation for failing to provide adequate machine guarding on equipment at the aircraft landing gear manufacturer's Cuyahoga Falls facility. Proposed fines total $87,200.

Upon receiving a complaint, OSHA opened an investigation Nov. 7 under the agency's national emphasis program to prevent amputations. The program targets workplaces with machinery that has caused, or is capable of causing, amputation injuries. 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.

"Failing to have proper machine guarding unnecessarily places workers at an increased risk for amputations and other injuries," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland. "OSHA is committed to protecting workers on the job, especially when employers fail to do so."

Twelve serious safety violations involve failing to establish energy control procedures, ensure employees used lockout/tagout procedures for the energy sources of equipment prior to conducting maintenance and servicing, assess the workplace to determine required personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, properly train workers who operate powered industrial trucks, conduct annual crane inspections, remove defective web slings from service, provide point-of-operation guards for mechanical presses and flywheels, and conduct weekly press inspections.

Four serious health violations involve failing to maintain spray booths free of combustible residue, develop a written respiratory protection program, train workers on the use of fire extinguishers and develop a written hazard communication program to train workers on chemicals in the workplace. 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.

One other-than-serious health violation has been cited for failing to provide operational pressure gauges on spray booths to ensure that adequate airflow was maintained in the booths. 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 injury.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations 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. To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Cleveland Area Office at 216-615-4266.

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.