OSHA Cites Crothall in Fatal Incident
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently cited a healthcare laundry in Oak Creek, WI, for safety violations in the death of an employee in August 2015.
OSHA is seeking $41,200 in fines from Crothall Laundry Services Inc. for what the agency called serious safety violations linked to the employee's death. The 34-year-old man was servicing equipment at Crothall on Aug. 13, 2015, when a conveyor system propelled him into a dryer and he became trapped, OSHA said. He died of his injuries on Aug. 27, 2015, the agency said.
OSHA said the conveyor should have been inoperable during the servicing. Inspectors found that Crothall was not using energy-isolating devices on dryers and conveyors, did not have specific procedures for controlling power on the machinery and had not trained workers on methods necessary for energy isolation, the agency said.
A Crothall spokesperson said, "At Crothall Healthcare, the safety of our people is our number one priority. Our on-site management and safety teams have taken a comprehensive look at our safety policies and procedures involving lockout/tagout and have been working very closely with OSHA during the past six months to ensure employee safety."
TRSA holds a yearly Safety Summit to help all companies involved in textile services learn the latest techniques for running their operations safely. The fifth annual Safety Summit will take place on May 11-12, 2016, in Kansas City, MO. Beyond the Summit, TRSA offers a wealth of educational materials on safety and OSHA compliance. Click on the links below for more information or to order these publications:
- Control of Hazardous Energy DVD (English) or Spanish
- Safety Webinar Bundle – 2015 (includes six webinars on a range of safety topics at one low price)
- Managing OSHA Inspections DVD
- Webinar: Four Cornerstones of OSHA Compliance
- Webinar: OSHA Inspection, Effectively Handling: How to Legally Protect Your Rights