Worker Loses Four Fingers on His First Day, OSHA Reports
Quality Blow Molding did not report the amputation, which is required by OSHA regulations.
An 21-year-old employee suffered severe burns and the loss of four fingers on his right hand during his first day of work as he attempted to clear a jam in a plastic molding machine at an Elyria, Ohio facility owned by Quality Blow Molding Inc., according to OSHA, which reports the company failed to train the employee about safety requirements and also failed to report the injury to the agency.
OSHA has cited the company for two willful, two repeat, and one other-than-serious violation. The company manufactures bottles, golf tees, and other plastic items; it faces proposed penalties of $171,270 in this case and has been placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program following the investigation of the March 2 injury. OSHA said it previously cited Quality Blow Molding for similar hazards in 2010 and 2014 at the same facility.
"A preventable and unforgivable injury has changed this young man's life," said Kimberly Nelson, OSHA's area director in Toledo. "For the second time in two years, Quality Blow Molding intentionally and willfully disregarded OSHA standards and requirements for machine safety."