Four companies accused of violating COVID-19 health protocols fined by OSHA – New Hampshire Bulletin

4 New Hampshire firms have been fined by the Occupational Security and Well being Administration after being cited for violating federal COVID-19 well being protocols, in keeping with the company’s database. Cited violations embody one firm’s failure to make symptomatic workers keep house regardless of 43 employees testing optimistic for COVID-19 and never guaranteeing widespread areas had been often cleaned. 

Three of the businesses – American Efficiency Polymers in Colebrook, UPS in Londonderry, and Villa Crest Healthcare Heart in Manchester – have agreed to pay fines starting from practically $8,000 to $15,000. None responded to messages. 

The fourth – Knowledge Digital Techniques in Salem – is difficult a $15,800 superb, president Michael LaFleur stated Monday.

American Efficiency Polymers, which manufactures nitrile gloves, was cited in March for failing to take the required steps following a September outbreak the place 43 examined optimistic, in keeping with OSHA information. 

The corporate didn’t notify different workers who had been in shut contact with COVID-19-positive co-workers, OSHA information stated. It additionally didn’t require symptomatic workers to remain house or depart work.

OSHA discovered that workers with COVID-19 weren’t required to report signs, nor did the corporate implement masking or bodily distancing or guarantee common cleansing of areas the place contaminated workers had labored. Its use of followers elevated the potential unfold, in keeping with the information. 

“The employer didn’t furnish employment and a spot of employment which had been free from acknowledged hazards that had been inflicting or prone to trigger demise or severe bodily hurt to workers,” the information state.

The corporate, which didn’t return messages, was going through a virtually $15,000 superb. It reached an $8,000 settlement with OSHA in early April and should appropriate the violations by Might 1. 

In April, Villa Crest Healthcare Heart, a nursing and retirement facility in Manchester, agreed to pay practically $15,000 to settle two violations that occurred in June 2020, OSHA information stated. It had been going through a $20,800 superb.

The middle did not notify OSHA concerning the demise of an worker from a “work-related incident” inside eight hours, OSHA information stated. It additionally didn’t be certain that workers got “match checks” to make sure their N95 masks match correctly.

Messages to Villa Crest Healthcare Heart weren’t returned. 

In August, OSHA cited UPS in Londonderry for COVID-19-related violations and issued a $15,600 superb. The corporate reached an $8,100 settlement earlier this month that required it to assessment the corporate’s COVID-19 insurance policies with workers and implement masks necessities, social distancing, and cleansing procedures, in keeping with the OSHA report.

UPS didn’t reply to a message looking for remark.

Knowledge Digital Units, a high-tech manufacturing and design agency in Salem, was cited for failing to report its 2020 work-related harm and sickness data on time, in keeping with an OSHA report. 

It was additionally cited for allegedly placing workers vulnerable to contracting the virus by not informing them once they had had shut contact with a co-worker who’d examined optimistic. And OSHA discovered it has failed to make sure consuming areas and work stations had been constantly cleaned and disinfected.

The corporate paid a $1,756 superb for failing to submit data on work-related accidents in time. LaFleur stated the corporate tried to fulfill its deadline however bumped into technical points. 

The corporate is difficult a second $15,800 superb OSHA levied for the alleged COVID-19 violations. 

LeFleur stated he adopted all federal COVID-19 security protocols, together with proscribing guests, checking worker temperatures day by day, utilizing sanitation stations, and placing Plexiglass screens between employees. LeFleur purchased 30,000 masks firstly of the pandemic and required workers to make use of them when the federal authorities had a masks mandate in place. The masks stay accessible to workers who want to put on them, he stated. 

Workers use the final 5 minutes of their shift to wipe down work stations, LeFleur stated. There are day by day cleansing crews, and LaFleur has employed an organization to wash month-to-month utilizing a fogger, a misting machine that spreads disinfectant on all surfaces. The air filtration system exchanges the air each seven minutes, he stated. 

And he despatched workers house after studying they’d attended the marriage of fellow workers the place somebody examined optimistic for COVID-19, he stated. 

“A part of our firm mission assertion is to have the world’s happiest workers,” LeFleur stated. “We try to do the appropriate issues for our workers and ensure they’re protected and glad.”