The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined Georgia-based Legion Industries, a designer and maker of food service equipment and utensils, for 39 alleged serious and four other-than-serious workplace safety and health violations.

These OSHA violations stemmed from an inspection of Legion Industries' facility after OSHA received a complaint about conditions at the 31-person plant, where they manufacture cooking equipment and perform metal stamping.

One OSHA official commented on they work conditions within the factory and expressed, "workers should not be exposed to possible amputations and other serious hazards just to earn a paycheck."

The serious OSHA violations at the plant included having equipment without machine guards to prevent workers from being pulled into the equipment; using flexible cords as a substitute for fixed wiring which is an electrical hazard; and exposing employees to chemical hazards without proper training or personal protective equipment. OSHA classifies a serious violation as one that causes "death or serious physical harm as a result of the hazard which the employer knew about or should have known."

The four other-than-serious citations were for failing to provide a written respiratory protection program, a written certification for workplace hazard assessment, hearing protection and determining employee exposure levels to hexavalent chromium. No penalties are being assessed for these violations, which OSHA defines as one that is not as likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

Legion Industries has 15 days from the receipt of the citation to comply, request a formal hearing or appeal the alleged violations.

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