OSHA Nails Ohio Firm Following Worker's Crushing Injury
Three violations involve not following lockout/tagout standards to isolate energy sources in order to prevent the unexpected energization of machinery.
OSHA has cited West Troy Tool & Machine Inc. in Troy, Ohio, for 11 serious safety citations after a worker suffered crushing injuries from a power press in May. The company faces penalties totaling $52,500.
"Employers have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of their workers, which includes having proper machine guards installed and following appropriate energy control procedures," said Barbara Marcum, OSHA's acting area director in Cincinnati. "These basic safeguards are critical to ensuring that workers are not exposed to unnecessary risks, and will prevent injuries like the one that occurred here."
Three violations involve not following lockout/tagout standards to isolate energy sources in order to prevent the unexpected energization of machinery. These include failure to provide locking or tagging equipment for use, isolate energy sources when servicing equipment, and attach lockout devices during equipment servicing.
The other eight violations involve failing to have an energy control program, provide machine guarding on saw blades and pinch point equipment, provide supervision of power press operation, properly set up and maintain point-of-operation guards, operate presses in a proper safe mode, provide air pressure switches for clutches and counterbalance systems on presses, use hand tools to remove stuck work or scrap, and conduct inspections of presses.