A Tualatin, Oregon company intentionally kept a faulty system in place for storing raw materials, exposing employees to struck-by and crushing hazards, an inspection by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division showed.
According to Oregon OSHA, Avalon International Aluminum, a maker of metal door and window framing, willfully violated a safety rule by refusing to follow the installation and maintenance requirements set by the manufacturer of its industrial storage racks.
As a result of the decision, hundreds of pounds of raw materials sat unanchored on cantilever storage racks, some with damaged or upside-down baseplates, rising as high as 18 feet. The situation left employees, who reached the raw materials by hand and forklift, exposed to potential bodily harm, according to Oregon OSHA…