A Wisconsin pallet manufacturer has again been cited by OSHA after a follow-up inspection found its employees continued to be exposed to wood dust. Avid Pallet Services LLC faces penalties of $188,302 for repeated, serious, and other-than-serious safety and health violations.

Inspectors determined that the Beloit, Wisconsin, company failed to implement sufficient engineering controls to limit dust exposure, as well as train employees on the health hazards of wood dust. OSHA had previously cited the company for these hazards in 2016. Additional citations were issued after the follow-up inspection for failing to evaluate respiratory hazards, medically evaluate and fit test employees using respirators, inform employees of their right to see exposure records, and use adequate machine guarding on band saws.

“Employers are legally required to ensure that exposures to dust are properly evaluated and managed to protect employees from potential health hazards,” said OSHA’s Madison Area Office Director Chad Greenwood.

On its website, Avid lists “Integrity” as its #1 value, noting: “We pride ourselves on being honest, reliable, transparent, and fair in everything we do.” 

Visit the OSHA woodworking eTool webpage for information on evaluating exposure, exposure limits and effective exposure prevention programs.