AUSTIN, TX – A federal workplace safety investigation found that a Kyle vehicle parts manufacturer ignored repeated concerns raised by workers, and willfully exposed them to hazards related to unsafe machine operations, potential falls and a lack of personal protective equipment.
An inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration that began in June 2022 at Simwon NA Corp. identified one willful violation for failing to control hazardous energy to prevent sudden machine startups. The agency also issued more than a dozen serious citations for the company’s failures to follow required machine safety procedures; provide procedures for safe entry into permit required confined spaces; prevent workers’ exposure to slips, trips and fall hazards; provide workers with required safety equipment; and provide procedures for safe crane operations.
OSHA has proposed $298,338 in penalties for the company.
“OSHA found that – despite concerns voiced by its workers – Simwon NA Corp. ignored serious safety issues, putting its workers at risk,” said OSHA Area Director Casey Perkins in Austin, Texas. “The company must act quickly to comply with federal safety standards before an employee suffers serious injury or worse.”
A subsidiary of the Myung Shin Industries Co. Ltd. in South Korea, Simwon NA Corp. supplies doors for vehicles built at Tesla’s Giga Texas factory in Austin.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and 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.
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