OSHA Focusing on Amputations in Region VI
OSHA's announcement said this campaign is beginning immediately with a targeted enforcement phase, including on-site inspections and a review of employers in industries with machinery that exposes workers to amputation hazards.
OSHA announced it is making a targeted enforcement effort, a surge, it said, to protect workers in manufacturing in four Region VI states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Amputation cause more than 1,400 serious injuries in the United States each year and, during 2015, OSHA received reports of more than 2,600 amputations nationwide, with 57 percent of them suffered by manufacturing workers. The agency has been concentrating on preventing them, requiring them to be reported promptly, and carrying out enforcement cases after they occur.
The campaign's goal is to enforce safety regulations and hold employers responsible for protecting workers. "Our focus on amputation hazards reminds employers that safety and health should remain a top priority," said Kelly C. Knighton, regional administrator for OSHA. "We can only hope that the focus on this issue will reduce the potential for continued worker exposure to unguarded machines and equipment."
OSHA's announcement said this campaign is beginning immediately with a targeted enforcement phase, including on-site inspections and a review of employers in industries with machinery that exposes workers to amputation hazards, and federal safety and health inspectors will evaluate operations, working conditions, recordkeeping, and safety and health programs.