It can seem that too many Ohio workers that many state-based companies have been getting hit with workplace safety violations recently. Indeed, five Ohio companies have been hit with fines from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the last few months, with total fines exceeding $250,000. The silver lining is that hopefully the companies learn their lessons and take workplace safety more seriously.
But Ohio-based one truck manufacturer did not get its act together quickly enough, and two workers had to have fingers amputated. The company is now facing $90,000 in fines from OSHA. Hopefully the workers will be granted the workers’ compensation that they deserve for their injuries.
The Stahl/Scott Fetzer Co., which is based in Wooster, faces six safety violations after the first incident, where a worker who was operating an unguarded press break, a machine used to bend sheet metal, had to have multiple fingers amputated. While OSHA was already on the scene investigating the accident, the second injury occurred.
One of the violations is considered willful, which is more serious because the company should have known to take the measures already. OSHA charged the company with failing to guard the press break machines.
The company was also hit with violations for failing to inspect cranes, not developing a blood-borne pathogen program, and failing to train workers in using fire extinguishers, industrial trucks, and first aid.
Sadly, the company has previously been hit with six serious and 43 lesser violations from OSHA. It’s disappointing that the company could heed the earlier warnings and that workers have to suffer.
Source: Norwalk Reflector, “Company faces $90,000 fine after two workers suffer finger amputations at plant,” June 21, 2012