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Asphalt Plant Cited by OSHA Following Fatality

Oct. 27, 2000

OSHA cited Eureka Stone Quarry Inc., Rushland, Pa., for safety and\r\nhealth violations, proposing a total of $144,200 in penalties.

EHS Today Staff

OSHA cited Eureka Stone Quarry Inc., Rushland, Pa., for safety and health violations, proposing a total of $144,200 in penalties.

Eureka Stone is a unionized asphalt plant employing 55 workers at its Rushland site.

OSHA initiated its investigation of the plant on April 24, in response to a fatality.

An employee, working in a bin, was attempting to break up a clump of fine, wet stone when the material it held gave way and engulfed him.

According to George Tomchick, the company was cited for two willful violations with a penalty of $112,000; and eight serious violations with a $32,200 penalty.

The company was cited with failure to:

shut down a conveyer system and immediately contact rescue services after receiving notification that an employee was trapped in a bin;
prevent unauthorized entry into a permit-required confined space, and
train employees about the hazards associated with permit-required confined spaces.

The serious violations include:

a 14-foot, eight-inch fall hazard due to lack of railing or covers on bins;
a broken midrail on a platform railing;
no standard railing on stairs;
no signs or other effective means to identify confined space, and
no measures taken to prevent entry into a confined space.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.