OSHA cites Cooper Tire & Rubber over dust hazards

ERJ staff report (DS)

Tupelo, Missouri - The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. and two of its maintenance contractors with 25 safety violations at the company's Tupelo plant, including exposing workers to hazards associated with combustible dust. Proposed penalties total $254,900.

OSHA opened a December 2010 inspection in Tupelo following one of the company's Findlay, Ohio, plant that uncovered multiple workplace hazards and resulted in proposed penalties of $213,500.

"The level of disregard for workers' safety demonstrated by these employers is truly shocking. Serious fire and explosion hazards existed due to the improper handling of carbon black in the storage silos, dust collections and dust handling systems," said Clyde Payne, director of OSHA's area office in Jackson. "It should not take a massive fire or explosion for employers to implement necessary safety measures to protect their employees.

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Press release from OSHA