Safety violations at the Nissan plant have led to fines for the automaker.
MPB's Desare Frazier reports.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently cited Nissan in Canton, for two violations. Travis Parks is a production technician at the plant and member of a group seeking to unionize workers.
"They found slip hazards with oil and water on the floors and then they found an open pit, which is the repeat violation," said Parks.
Parks says an open test pit is similar to the space beneath cars at a quick oil change business, where employees work under vehicles. Parks says OSHA inspected the plant after a worker fell in a pit last October, and was hospitalized.
"And that's about a 10 to 12 foot drop usually," said Parks.
Workers filed a complaint after another employee fell into a pit in February, and went to the hospital. OSHA noted pits should be covered or have guardrails to prevent accidental falls. The agency fined Nissan $32,000 for the repeated pit violation and water and oil on floors. Parks says Nissan has done more than 5,000 safety audits.
"With those 5,000 audits, these things should have been fixed. There things that are there that are being seen that are being brought forward to management through the procedures, but they're not being fixed," said Parks.
Parks says Nissan has addressed some safety hazards but more needs to be done. In a statement Nissan said employee safety is their top priority. The company says it strives to comply with all safety laws and regulations while adhering to best practices.
