OSHA cites three companies over Mine Hill plant safety issues

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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a French company with facilities in New Jersey, along with two staffing agencies, over explosion and chemical hazards at a Mine Hill plant.OSHA said in a news release that it is proposing $139,200 in total penalties for 30 citations against nail polish maker Fiabila USA Inc., which has facilities in Mine Hill and Linden, as well as JobConnection Services Inc. of Dover and Joulé Clinical & Scientific Staffing Solutions, a division of System One, which has an office in Parsippany. Permanent and temporary workers at Fiabila’s Mine Hill site were exposed to fire, explosion and safety and health hazards related to flammable chemicals, OSHA said.

OSHA conducted an inspection in May 2014 after a complaint, it said. Inspectors found flammable liquids stored in indoor tanks; one tank overflowed in July due to a disabled or broken safety mechanism.

Fiabila was cited for exposing the employees to the hazards, while the staffing firms were cited for failure to properly train temporary workers, OSHA said. Fiabila faces $109,200 in penalties for 25 violations, while JobConnection faces $18,000 in fines for three violations and Joulé faces $12,000 in penalties for two violations.

“Whether temporary or permanent, workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace,” Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA’s Parsippany Area Office, said in a prepared statement. “Staffing agencies and host employers are joint employers of temporary workers. Both are responsible for providing and maintaining safe working conditions free of potentially fatal hazards.”

The companies had 15 business days from receipt of the citations to either accept them, contest them or request a meeting with the area director.

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