Hailiang Copper Texas Inc., a Sealy, Texas, manufacturer, faces a $253,750 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine after an employee suffered serious arm injuries while trying to clear debris during the manufacturing of copper alloy products, the agency announced September 26.

Agency investigators determined an employee suffered serious injuries that resulted in a partial arm amputation. While attempting to remove debris, the employee’s right hand was caught between a conveyor belt and a rack holding 15 1-ton copper coils. 

In addition to a lack of required machine guards, agency inspectors found the company didn’t develop energy control (lockout/tagout) procedures, failed to mark tags or slings on cranes, didn’t provide and implement a written hazard communication program, failed to provide respirators, and exposed workers wearing thermal-resistant, aluminized heat-reflective suits to potential indoor heat illness hazards. The agency issued citations for 24 serious safety and health violations.

“Insufficient machine guarding is a frequent issue in the manufacturing industry, leading to numerous serious and life-altering injuries,” Monica Camacho, OSHA’s Austin, Texas, area office director, said in an agency statement. “Powered industrial machinery can be extremely hazardous when employers neglect to implement proper energy control procedures and fail to equip machines with adequate machine safety guards to protect workers.”

“Beyond implementing safety controls, companies must address language barriers and ensure that communication and training are provided in languages all employees can understand and apply effectively.”

On September 17, OSHA revealed that its lockout/tagout and machine guarding standards remain among its most cited. The agency’s lockout/tagout standard (29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1910.147) is its fifth most cited regulation. The agency has cited 2,443 violations so far in fiscal year (FY) 2024. Its machine guarding standard (§1910.212) is the agency’s tenth most cited standard, with 1,541 violations cited so far.

According to OSHA, Hailiang Copper Texas Inc. is a subsidiary of China Hailiang Group, one of the world’s largest producers of copper and copper alloy products in China’s Zhejiang province.

Cal/OSHA issues new wildfire smoke alert

On September 24, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) again reminded employers in the state of their duty to protect workers from wildfire smoke hazards.

The Line Fire continues to impact air quality in areas around San Bernardino and Riverside counties. On September 9, Cal/OSHA issued an earlier alert regarding the Line Fire.

Cal/OSHA’s Protection from Wildfire Smoke standard requires California employers to protect workers from unhealthy air due to wildfire smoke. The standard’s requirements include informing employees of the air quality index (AQI) for particulate matter (PM2.5) and available protective measures, providing instruction and training on wildfire smoke’s health effects and steps for protection, and providing respiratory protection for voluntary use. When the AQI for PM2.5 exceeds 500, respiratory protection is required, and employers must comply with additional respiratory protection requirements, including fit testing and medical evaluation, to ensure employees can safely use respirators.

While there’s no corresponding federal wildfire smoke standard, Oregon has a state standard with requirements similar to the California regulation.