Wyoming OSHA Proposes $194,000 in Fines to Western Sugar Cooperative

Cheyenne, WY (WorkersCompensation.com) - The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Denver-based Western Sugar Cooperative for a total of 39 violations stemming from follow-up inspections at its Torrington and Lovell facilities. The two February OSHA inspections resulted in proposed penalties totaling $194,000.

OSHA previously cited the Lovell facility in January of this year for 12 citations and proposed penalties totaling $71,000 following a fatality inspection. Fatality investigations are typically limited in scope. The January Lovell case is still open.

Based upon the observations made by the compliance officer during the Lovell fatality inspection, OSHA returned for a full inspection of the Lovell facility shortly after. Additionally, OSHA conducted an inspection of the Torrington Western Sugar facility, which had been inspected and cited for violations on previous occasions. Follow-up/referral inspections are not uncommon after incident investigations.

“In addition to one repeat serious violation, these inspections revealed 36 instances in which a serious hazard existed that the employer knew about, or should have known about,” said Director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Joan Evans. “Western Sugar Cooperative and all Wyoming employers have a responsibility to keep their worksites safe, and that means they must understand and abate hazards at all worksites under their management.”

Western Sugar Cooperative also received two non-serious citations.

The Torrington facility received citations for the following hazards: Inoperable emergency eyewash stations; numerous fall hazards; lack of guarding and inadequate signage, among others. Failure to guard equipment with moving parts received a repeat serious violation.

The Lovell facility received citations for the following hazards: inadequate guarding; unmaintained personal protective equipment; failure to conduct hazard assessments; employee consumption of beverages in close proximity to chemicals; insufficient emergency eye wash stations and inadequate guarding, among others.

The citations are posted on wyomingworkforce.org. Previous citations issued by Wyoming OSHA can be found on the establishment search page on the U.S. Department of Labor OSHA website.

The Western Sugar Cooperative has 15 days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the Wyoming Occupational Safety and Health Commission.

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