A Syracuse, N.Y.-based potato chip maker is facing more than $115,000 in fines for alleged violations of federal safety regulations, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
A June 2013 inspection of the Terrell’s Potato Chip Co. Inc. factory in Syracuse uncovered 23 new and recurring alleged violations of job-site safety standards, resulting in proposed fines of $115,500, the agency said in a statement released Monday.
OSHA’s inspectors cited the company for nine alleged repeat violations, including failure to install guardrails near on-site fryers, potato peelers and packaging machinery, as well as failure to remove previously damaged electrical parts from service.
“The sizable fines proposed here are the result of finding new and recurring hazards, such as exposing workers to amputations, fire and obstructed emergency exits, which could lead to serious injury,” Christopher Adams, OSHA’s area director in Syracuse, said in the agency’s statement. “It’s not enough to correct hazards. For the safety and well-being of its workers, an employer also must take effective steps to ensure that hazards, once corrected, don’t reappear.”
Additional alleged safety violations included locked emergency exits, electrical hazards and unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals, according to OSHA’s citations against Terrell’s.
Jack Terrell, the company’s owner, declined to comment on the alleged violations.