Danville Goodyear plant issued dozens of violations, fined more than $1 million

[Omaha Steve]

Source: WSLS

By Jenna Zibton

DANVILLE (WSLS 10) – Goodyear is being fined more than $1 million as a result of comprehensive safety and health, fatality and accident inspections. The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) program issued 4 willful, 115 serious and 3 other than serious violations and $1,012,400 in penalties.

This comes after four employees died at the plant within a year, prompting an investigation by OSHA and the United Steel Workers.

Goodyear has 15 days to comply, request an informal conference with VOSH’s Roanoke Regional Director, or contest the citations and penalties.

WSLS 10 has reached out to Goodyear for comment.

FULL story and video at link.

Read more: http://wsls.com/2016/10/13/danville-goodyear-plant-issued-dozens-of-violations-fined-more-than-1-million/

[burrowowl]

1. OSHA finally doing their job

[Plucketeer]

2. I worked in a tire factory for a time

I also spent several years installing safety devices on industrial machines. I feel qualified to tell you that no matter HOW "SAFE" they can make a manufacturing facility, there's plenty of opportunity for a worker to get hurt. I'm not defending Goodyear in the least, but they can make a place as idiot-proof as possible and STILL have workers get hurt. People - people who KNOW better - do dumb things around equally dumb machinery and the machinery is unforgiving when it and a human tangle. I've seen the ugly aftermath too many times.
That said, there has to be a persistent push from the top to keep harping safety practices and insure that they're followed. If not, then folks are gonna get complacent in their boring, repetitive tasks to the point where they get hurt by shortcutting in the interest of making their jobs easier.

When I worked at that Armstrong tire factory some years ago, I quit because it was such a dreadful place to work. With my skills, I knew I could find another job - no sweat. But alot of the folks that worked there didn't have that luxury. And working one of those dangerous machines - 8 - 10 hours a day - 5 - 6 days a week and you get to feeling like a zombie.

[snooper2]

3. I worked at a plastic factory with probably 80 different stations...

Lots of ways to get hurt...