OSHA Cites South Brunswick Company For Alleged Safety Violations

A federal safety investigation, launched after a worker at a South Brunswick company suffered an electrical shock, has resulted in citations for ten serious violations, authorities said.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration had cited Seldat Distribution Inc., at 15 Thatcher Road, in the Dayton section of town, for violations that include blocked exits and electrical hazards, authorities said.

“Electrical hazards are one of the most common issues impacting workers, and the dangers involved are hardly a secret to employers. This was a preventable tragedy,” Patricia Jones, the director of OSHA’s Avenel Area Office, said in a prepared statement. “For the safety and well-being of their employees, Seldat Distribution must supply and ensure the use of proper safeguards and safety exits at its distribution warehouse.”

The agency began its investigation on Sept. 11, after the South Brunswick Fire Marshall reported that a worker was shocked by an improperly wired, powered conveyer system, according to a Labor Department news release.

The 48-year-old worker, Pedro Vincent-Diaz Villafuerte, was revived by police who performed CPR and used a defibrillator on him. The worker was hospitalized for several days.

According to the OSHA news release, inspectors found issues including:

• Wiring not protected from abrasions
• Using flexible cords and cables in lieu of fixed wiring
• No strain relief for cords and cables
• Inappropriately narrow, blocked exit routes
• Obstructed aisles and passageways
• Unmounted fire extinguishers whose locations were not properly marked
• Unstable storage of materials and products

OSHA is proposing penalties of $63,000; Seldat has 15 days to pay the fines and repair the problems, or contest the findings, officials said.