Urbana, Ill. — OSHA has cited Flex-N-Gate with nine serious safety and health violations for failing to monitor workers’ exposure to sulfuric acid and other regulated chemicals while cleaning electroplating tanks at the company’s bumper manufacturing plant here. Proposed fines resulting from a December 2011 inspection total $57,000. Four of the violations, which also involved nickel, chromium, chromic acid, and hydrochloric acid exposure, related to medical surveillance for workers performing decorative plating operations in regard to chromium and chromic acid exposure. The violations included failure to provide periodic examinations of exposed body parts, implement an effective respiratory program, identify and evaluate respiratory hazards, or provide medical evaluations for respirator use and fit-testing for respirators. Urbana-headquartered Flex-N-Gate employs more than 12,450 people at 50 manufacturing and nine product development and engineering facilities throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Spain. The Urbana plant previously was inspected by OSHA in October 2010, resulting in citations for two serious violations.
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