July 15, 2024

Department of Labor finds one of the largest makers of reclaimed rubber flooring exposed Austin-area employees to willful, serious safety violations

Ecore International cited for 16 violations at Mexia plant, faces $299K in penalties

AUSTIN, TX – While one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of commercial flooring and surfaces — including recycled rubber products used throughout the nation in playgrounds, fitness centers and sports fields — touts its products’ safety and environmental benefits, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found the company less committed to protecting its own employees.

An inspection of Ecore International Inc’s Mexia plant by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in January 2024 found more than a dozen safety and health violations. Investigators discovered the company made employees stand on a forklift’s elevated tines to reach work areas; failed to prevent small fires fueled by improper buildup of combustible dust and permitted potentially explosive atmospheres to exist; lacked safe areas for welding; exposed employees to slip, trip and fall hazards; allowed untrained workers to operate forklifts; and failed to ensure machines had required safety guards.

“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,” said OSHA Area Director Monica Camacho in Austin, Texas. “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.”

OSHA issued Ecore International citations for one willful violation and 15 serious violations. The company faces $299,591 in proposed penalties.

In a separate investigation in May 2024 at a new Ecore facility in Ozark, Alabama, OSHA found similar machine guard hazards unchecked and employees exposed to potential electrocution and amputation dangers.

“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,” Camacho added. 

Founded in 1871 and based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Ecore International Inc. consists of the ECOsurfaces, Surface America, A-Turf and SpectraTurf companies, serving customers in more than 75 countries in the healthcare, hospitality, education, retail, wellness, sports and fitness industries. Ecore’s U.S. customers include daycare centers, dance studios, high schools and universities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

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.                                 

Learn more about OSHA.

Media Contacts:

Chauntra Rideaux, 972-850-4710, rideaux.chauntra.d@dol.gov
Juan J. Rodríguez, 972-850-4709, rodriguez.juan@dol.gov

Release Number: 24-1322-DAL