Connecticut aerospace processing firm Har-Conn Chrome Co. Inc. has been cited for numerous breaches of workplace health and safety at its facility in West Hartford, Conn., the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced.
The company, which specializes in manufacturing aerospace and high technology applications of electroplated and related coatings, will be fined $66,220, the regulator said. The investigation into the operations of the metal finishing company was launched after a complaint was filed with OSHA, the agency said last week.
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Warren Simpson, OSHA's area director in Hartford, explained that during the investigation OSHA officers found that workers at the plant had been exposed to a series of toxic chemicals and to different mechanical hazards. These included increased risks of fires, eye injuries, chemical burns and lacerations, among others. Simpson stated that the company was required to plan and implement corrective action that improves safety conditions at the plant.
An inspection found that Har-Conn failed to provide workers with basic safety and health supplies, such as eye and face protection or emergency eyewash, for those working with caustic substances, and also failed to provide the required guarding on shafting and grinders. Other violations recorded during the inspection included inadequate disposal of combustible waste materials, lack of control over employees' exposure to formaldehyde, lack of asbestos survey and absence of first-aid supplies at the plant.
