Pa. Manufacturer Cited for Reported Violations

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations to a Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania, envelope manufacturer for alleged safety violations that placed employees at risk of being injured by machinery and electrical equipment.

OSHA cited United Envelope LLC, doing business as Huxley Envelope, for one willful, 18 serious, and four other alleged violations following an inspection initiated in March 2004. Total proposed fines amounted to $113,000. The company has been inspected three times since 1996.

OSHA is proposing a $70,000 penalty for one alleged willful violation for failure to ensure that employees are protected from hazards associated with rotating parts of unguarded machinery. The penalty is the maximum fine allowed by law. The serious violations, covering a variety of hazards associated with machine guarding and electrical violations, carry a penalty of $43,000.

A willful violation is cited when an employer has shown plain indifference to or intentional disregard of OSHA standards. A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Huxley Envelope has 15 working days from receipt of the citations and fines to request and participate in an informal conference with OSHA or to appeal them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.