OSHA Cites Olde Atlanta Recycling

, a privately owned company located in south Forsyth County, has been cited for 23 safety and health violations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The violations are for exposing workers to a variety of hazards at its facility located at 2535 Ivy Street East in Cumming, according to a news release.

OSHA has proposed penalties of $69,200.

Some of the alleged violations include, failing to provide an energy control program for workers who maintain and service equipment to keep machines from accidentally starting up, require workers who operate powered industrial trucks to wear seat belts, failing to develop and implement a noise monitoring program, implement a noise monitoring program, perform a hazard assessment for workers exposed to laceration hazards to determine necessary personal protective equipment and identify a baler that workers entered to remove jams as a permit-required confined space.

“This inspection has identified several safety and health deficiencies that need to be addressed by Olde Atlanta Recycling in order to protect its workers,” said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office in the news release. “It is the employer’s responsibility to provide a safe and healthful workplace.”

Andrew Black, president of Olde Atlanta Recycling, told Cumming Patch that his company abated most of the citations issued with the exception of "maybe three" within days of OSHA performing its two-day inspection of the facility.

"We are just a small business with 18 great employees who mean an incredible amount to us and because we are small we care for them in a much different way than a bigger company would," he said. "We have good practices and we keep our people safe."

Black said the company either resolved the problem [in reference to the citations] or they put something in place to address what OSHA would like to see them be doing. He also said the company is putting together a safety manual to address OSHA's concerns.

"We have some safety guidelines in place and our employees are aware of them, trained on them and reminded of them," said Black. "We're going to do everything possible to keep our people safe."

Despite the citations, Black said OSHA commended the recycling company for having "a very good and safe facility," and thought that they have a good operation in place.

Olde Atlanta Recycling, which sorts and recycles plastic, metal and paper products, is in its eleventh year of business.

The company is a partner in education with the Forsyth County Board of Education, according to Black. They have 13 aluminum fundraising bins stationed at various schools throughout the county, and they have donated and contributed to many environmental clubs and green teams.