MP Global Products, a Norfolk Nebraska flooring materials company, disputes OSHA allegations that it tried to hide hazardous machines from federal inspectors and threatened to fire employees
Posted: Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Special to the Daily News
Federal investigators are alleging that a Norfolk flooring materials company tried to hide hazardous machines from federal inspectors and threatened to fire employees who complained about unsafe working conditions.
The allegations stem from an investigation being done by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) into why a 65-year-old temporary worker suffered the amputation of one finger and severe damage to another when his left hand was caught as he operated a machine.
OSHA inspectors allege that the man’s employer, MP Global Products, attempted to conceal an entire production line from them, according to an OSHA press release issued Tuesday.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, MP Global disputes the allegations.
"At MP Global, we value our employees and are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment. We believe that the negative comments, allegations, citations and proposed penalties issued by OSHA are grossly inappropriate and are not supported by the evidence. This was an unfortunate accident," the statement said.'
"That being said, we will continue to work with OSHA, as we have in the past, and we look forward to the opportunity to present our evidence in
the proper setting," the statement also said.
OSHA inspectors said they found numerous machines lacked safety guards that exposed workers to amputation injuries on that line and throughout the facility.
As a result, OSHA has cited MP Global for two willful, 22 serious and one other-than-serious safety violations carrying proposed penalties of $244,000.
The agency also placed the company in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program after the inspection of the March 1 injury.
“MP Global shut down an entire production line, turned the lights off and herded employees into the back room where they were instructed to remain quiet during OSHA’s inspection. This was a willful attempt to prevent inspectors from discovering numerous machine safety violations in the plant,” said Jeff Funke, OSHA’s area director in Omaha. “MP Global needs to immediately correct the multiple machine hazards in its facility.”
OSHA inspectors found the company failed to train workers on machine safety procedures and vehicle operation. They also found blocked aisles, inadequate emergency exit signs, defective powered industrial trucks in operation and numerous electrical safety hazards, including damaged electrical boxes and exposed electrical wires.
MP Global manufactures underlayment products from recycled materials for use beneath laminate, tile and hardwood flooring.
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.