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PA Coil Coating Company Cited for Worker Death

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2024

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration have reportedly determined that a Butler County, Pennsylvania, company could have prevented a supervisor from suffering fatal injuries in September.

Vorteq Coil Finishers, LLC, of Valencia, Pennsylvania, is a finisher of steel and aluminum coils. The investigation was opened by OSHA against the company on Sept. 6 last year.

According to the administration, the 46-year-old employee was instructed to clean a chrome roller on a coater machine while it was in operation. The worker was reportedly then pulled into the machine and suffered fatal injuries.

“Vorteq Coil Finishers’ failure to value employee safety created conditions that cost a worker his life,” said OSHA Area Office Director Christopher Robinson in Pittsburgh.

“This incident, and the company’s history of similar incidents and serious injuries at this and other plants, emphasize the crucial need for a shift in company culture to make worker safety and health a core workplace principle. OSHA will continue to monitor and hold the company accountable until there are sufficient changes.”

© iStock.com / efenzi
Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration have reportedly determined that a Butler County, Pennsylvania, company could have prevented a supervisor from suffering fatal injuries in September.
© iStock.com / efenzi

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration have reportedly determined that a Butler County, Pennsylvania, company could have prevented a supervisor from suffering fatal injuries in September.

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OSHA has cited the company for two willful and two serious violations based, partly, for failing to implement lockout/tagout procedures and not installing machine guarding. The violations included: 

  • Safety instruction sign(s) were not used where there was a need for general instructions and suggestions relative to safety measure(s);
  • The employer did not conduct an annual or more frequent inspection of the energy control procedures to ensure that the procedures and requirements of the standard were followed;
  • Procedures were not developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees were engaged in activities covered by the section, and the machine or equipment was not turned off or shut down using the procedures established for the machine or equipment; and
  • One or more methods of machine guarding were not provided to protect operators and other employees in the machine areas from hazards such as those created by points of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks.

Additionally, the agency has proposed $345,685 in penalties, and OSHA has placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

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“All evidence gathered during the inspection revealed that management employees at the highest level of the plant knew how dangerous it was to clean this machine while it was operating but required employees to do so to minimize downtime and maximize production,” Robinson added.

Vorteq has 15 business days from receipt of the citation and proposed penalties to comply and submit payment or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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In September, the Butler County Coroner’s Office identified the worker as Joseph Reyes. His arm was reportedly caught in the machinery while he was cleaning it. The cause of death, which was ruled accidental, was traumatic asphyxiation.

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Tagged categories: Civil Penalty; Coil coatings; Enforcement; Fatalities; Good Technical Practice; Hazards; Health & Safety; Health and safety; OSHA; OSHA; Program/Project Management; Violations; Workers

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