By H. Nelson Goodson
May 21, 2013
Milwaukee, WI - On Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued several citations for safety violations and for withholding information about certain safety incidents against Palermo Villa, Inc. totalling $38,500 in fines. Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) who made the announcement through a news release says, the OSHA fines comes after a 22-year-old man had three fingers amputated by a Palermo's pizza machine on May 7.
VDLF states, the new citations issued by OSHA carry fines totaling $38,500. These include seven "serious" violations and one "Other-than-serious" violation for process safety violations surrounding the ammonia refrigeration system. Ammonia is a deadly gas that in large quantities can cause mass casualties. OSHA defines a "serious" violation as existing "when the workplace hazard could cause an accident or illness that would most likely result in death or serious physical harm."
In addition to the numerous citations, OSHA claimed that Palermo Villa, Inc. hid information about injuries that should have been reported. In a cover letter dated May 17, 2013, OSHA criticized Giacomo Fallucca, Palermo's president and CEO for redacting injury details from a federally required injury log for the period between 2008 and 2011.
OSHA also ordered Fallucca to "immediately provide the original requester copies of the un-redacted OSHA logs."
OSHA also ordered Fallucca to "immediately provide the original requester copies of the un-redacted OSHA logs."
OSHA is now the second federal agency to find Palermo Villa guilty of violating federal law. The National Labor Relations Board found in November 2012 that Palermo's management threatened and retaliated against workers who sought union recognition and ordered 11 workers reinstated with back-pay, but Palermo Villa has yet to comply with this order, according to VDLF.
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