Federal workplace inspectors in Hartford are proposing $323,000 in fines against a Sprague paper mill for alleged serious and repeat violations of workplace safety standards.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it investigated last summer after mill workers for Cascades Boxboard Group complained about their Montreal-based employer.
OSHA said it found 52 violations stemming from chemical, electrical, mechanical, fire, fall and crushing hazards due to the mill’s deteriorating building. Inspectors from Hartford’s OSHA office also found violations that had not been corrected after a 2007 inspection, the agency said.
Among the repeat violations were instances of unguarded moving machine parts; open-sided platforms unguarded or inadequately protected against falls; stairs without railings; and wet floors in several spots.
An early afternoon phone call to the mill seeking comment was not immediately returned.
