Worker Loses Finger on Glass Machine, Company Fined $113,800
OSHA opened an investigation after a March 18 incident in which a worker's right index finger became caught in the sleeve of the glass former press stem while he was performing maintenance and was amputated.
OSHA has cited Anchor Hocking LLC, a glass products manufacturer in Lancaster, Ohio, for 12 safety violations. OSHA opened an investigation after a March 18 incident in which a worker's right index finger became caught in the sleeve of the glass former press stem while he was performing maintenance and was amputated. Workers had not been trained in recommended "lockout/tagout" procedures for isolating the energy sources of machines to prevent their accidental operation. Anchor Hocking LLC faces $113,800 in proposed fines for the violations.
"Failure to implement and train employees in lockout/tagout procedures when performing maintenance on machinery is unacceptable and can have terrible consequences, as in this case," said Deborah Zubaty, OSHA's area director in Columbus. "Employers have a responsibility to ensure work environments are healthful and safe, which includes providing appropriate training and implementing safety procedures to protect workers."
Two repeat violations involve failing to annually inspect lockout/tagout procedures and to protect employees from falls off of an open-sided work platform. In December 2007, Anchor Hocking was cited for the same violations at the Lancaster facility.
Five serious violations involve failing to document and train employees in adequate lockout/tagout procedures, failing to affix locks to hold isolation devices in the safe or "off" position, failing to protect workers from falls due to floor holes, and using flexible cords as a substitute for fixed wiring.
Five other-than-serious violations involve failing to maintain the OSHA 300 log of work-related injuries and illnesses for 2010; adequately record injuries in the OSHA logs for 2008, 2009, and 2011; and record an injury within seven days of notification.