The company was also cited for improperly storing combustible waste and not removing the containers on a daily basis, and allowing its workers to use sprays that contained toxic compounds that could cause breathing difficulties and posed a cancer risk. “This and other risky safety and health hazards associated with using spray products with toxic compounds highlight the importance of protecting workers through an effective workplace safety and health program”, said Kevin Kilp, OSHA’s area director in Harrisburg.
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The large fine and settlement follow a series of inspections that began in July 2014, when a worker at Ashley’s huge factory in the western Wisconsin city of Arcadia lost three fingers while operating a woodworking machine without required safety mechanisms in place, OSHA said.
OSHA said the settlement emphasizes employment involvement and management commitment to implementing the machine safety program. Now there are 27 corporate-wide settlement agreements available here on the OSHA website, looking at the company names – Beverly Enterprises, Imperial Sugar, BP Products North America, WalMart, Republic Steel – is a reminder of some of the biggest enforcement battles the agency has fought.
Read a complete copy of Ashley Furniture’s statement below.
The plants where the alleged violations occurred were at Arcadia and Whitehall Wisconsin, and Ecru and Ripley Mississippi. “We look forward to working with Ashley Furniture to ensure that it fulfills its commitment and focuses on reducing injuries on the job”.
On Wednesday, Ashley issued a statement saying that it had entered the settlement agreement voluntarily, and had built “a productive relationship with OSHA”. Ashley has also agreed to conduct periodic audits and evaluate the effectiveness of these programs and make reports to OSHA every year, according to OSHA, for the two-year agreement. The company said it has spent over $67 million in the past five years on modern manufacturing equipment and safety initiatives. “The results of this voluntary agreement go beyond simple compliance with the OSHA standards and include tools to proactively correct issues and create a model safety system”.
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According to the release, Ashley Furniture employs almost 22,000 workers in 30 locations nationwide.
