Dowa THT America Inc., Bowling Green, Ohio, USA
This article appeared in a Toledo, Ohio, USA newspaper “The Blade” March 22, 2019. We will add that Dowa is the largest furnace builder in Japan and also the largest commercial heat treater in the country. In addition they have 100’s of furnace installations in North America.
“BOWLING GREEN – The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has proposed more than $1 million in penalties for a Bowling Green metal heat treatment company after the company exposed employees to atmospheric, thermal, electrical, and mechanical hazards as they performed maintenance inside heat-treating furnaces, authorities said. The action is a result of an onsite inspection OSHA conducted at Dowa THT America Inc., 2130 South Wood Circle, from Oct. 18 to Oct. 29, 2018, according to the citation and notification of penalty released Thursday. In addition to the $1,326,367 in penalties, the company was placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program, according to the Department of Labor.
The company was cited for 25 “willful, serious, and other-than-serious violations for hazards related to confined spaces, falls, machine guarding, respiratory protection, chemical exposures, and electrical equipment,” according a written statement released by the department Thursday. Additionally, the company “failed to provide adequate personal protective equipment and train their employees on hazards in the facility.” “The violations identified exposed employees to serious, and potentially life-threatening injuries and illnesses,” said Loren Sweatt, acting assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, in the statement. “Employers have a legal obligation to assess their workplaces for hazards, and establish appropriate safety and health programs to protect their workers.”