Go deeper - join us!
Stanley Black + Decker, the number one world leader in the tools industry, is being cited for a lack of safe work practices by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The company now faces $222,392 in proposed penalties. OSHA began an investigation after a 29-yo electrician suffered severe burns during an electrical arc blast. Stanley Black + Decker is headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut, but the incident that led to OHSA’s investigation occurred in a company facility in Willard, Ohio.
What is an arc flash?
An arc flash is a byproduct of an electrical explosion, when the electrical current travels from one conductor to another. This flash can create temperatures of up to 5,000° F or more. For comparison, the temperature of the surface of the sun is estimated at 9,932° F. The heat and light created by an arc flash can melt clothing, burn the skin, and cause eyesight and other body damage to anyone standing within a few feet of the explosion. One study estimates that between 5 and 10 arc flashes occur in the US each day. Electrical Contractor magazine reports arc flashes causes over 2,000 hospitalizations and over 400 deaths each year. OSHA cited Stanley Black + Decker for one willful violation and four serious violations.
Injuries to employee could have been prevented
After a worker’s hospitalization, the employer, MTD Products Inc., operating as Stanley Black + Decker, OSHA opened an investigation in December 2023. The investigators discovered multiple safety issues, including a failure to provide personal protective equipment when workers were making repairs around electrical equipment. The worker who was injured was replacing fuses on an industrial oven. OSHA found that the company also exposed workers to potential fall hazards and did not train electrical maintenance employers for energized electrical equipment.
Health and safety of workers is vital
On its website, Stanley Black + Decker lists responsibility as one of its key elements that drives the company forward. They now have 15 days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before an independent commission. Let’s hope they do the right thing and take care of their workers.
OSHA Area Director Todd Jensen in Toledo, Ohio said, “Employee safety and health should be every employer’s most important bottom line.”
