OHSA Cites Tortilla Company after Employee Finger was Amputated
A tortilla company is cited and fined $81,682 for exposing employees to amputation hazards in Labelle, Florida.
An employee at Twins Twins LLC in Florida suffered a partial finger amputation while attempting to service a tortilla machine. The company is responsible for failing to protect employees from amputation hazards. Specifically, the company failed to do the following: establish a lockout/tagout procedures that prevent unintentional start-up while performing machine, provide machine guarding, anchor miter saw, and notify OSHA within 24 hours of the employee’s hospitalization as required by law. The company also allowed employees to operate powered industrial trucks without training.
Twins Twins LLC has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program as a result. OSHA conducted the inspection as part of the Agency’s National Emphasis Program on Amputations and Regional Emphasis Program for Powered Industrial Trucks.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Read OSHA’s news release on the citations and penalties.