Sherburne, N.Y. — Copper wire manufacturer Tecnofil Chenango SAC has again been accused by federal inspectors of exposing workers to safety hazards at its Sherburne factory where a worker was severely burned in an explosion three years ago.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for several hazards and fined it $33,000 after a Feb. 2, 2013, explosion sprayed molten copper on a worker, severely burning him.
It said a more recent inspection found numerous instances of new and recurring guarding hazards on die presses, saws, lathes and other machinery.
This time, OSHA has proposed fining the company $124,740. The company has 15 business days to meet with the agency's area director to discuss a settlement or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Hazards cited by the agency included bypassing interlocks designed to stop machines from operating when their doors opened. In addition, the company did not lock out machines' power sources before changing dies or performing maintenance and did not adequately train employees to do so, OSHA said. It said it also found that workers were exposed to falls of up to 8 feet from unguarded work platforms.
"The breadth and recurring nature of these hazards is disturbing," Christopher Adams, OSHA's Syracuse area director, said in a statement. "The purpose of machine guarding is simple — to prevent any part of an employee's body from coming in contact with a machine's moving parts."
The company's manufacturing facility is at 40 S. Main St. in Sherburne, a Chenango County town 50 miles southeast of Syracuse.
