The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Great Southern Peanut LLC for safety and health violations after conducting a follow-up inspection as part of a formal settlement with the agency. The Leesburg, Georgia-based peanut processing facility faces $309,505 in proposed penalties.
OSHA cited the company for:
- Failing to develop and implement procedures for confined space entry.
- Failing to train employees on confined space hazards.
- Failing to reduce compressed air to the required level.
- Not meeting record keeping requirements.
The company was placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. “This employer failed to adhere to the terms of a formal agreement to correct workplace hazards identified in a previous inspection, continuing to put employees at risk of serious injury,” said OSHA Savannah Area Office Director Margo Westmoreland.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
