OSHA Cites Food Manufacturer After 2 Workers Suffer Hand Injuries
A majority of the violations focus on lockout/tagout procedures and machine guarding, OSHA said.
- By Alex Saurman
- Jun 15, 2023
Following two worker injuries, a Wisconsin food manufacturer is facing citations for 18 violations, many of which concern two of OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cited standards.
From December 2022 to January 2023, two workers at Abbyland Foods Inc.—a company previously cited for 22 serious violations—sustained hand injuries, according to a news release. The December 2022 incident that resulted in a worker losing the top of their finger involved a meat processing machine’s turning auger. Then, the following month, OSHA was notified that a 23-year-old worker had their hand crushed by a trash compactor’s sliding guard, the agency said.
"After a decade of citations for nearly two dozen serious violations, Abbyland Foods continues to ignore its legal responsibility to ensure a safe and healthful work environment," said OSHA Area Director Robert Bonack in Appleton, Wisconsin in the news release.
After OSHA’s investigations—which involved interviews with more than 70 workers— Abbyland Foods received citations for one repeat violation and 17 serious violations and proposed penalties of $277,472.
Per the news release, “most of the infractions” dealt with two topics: lockout/tagout procedures and machine guarding, both of which were on OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cited standards in the fiscal year 2022, ranking seventh and tenth, respectively.
OSHA alleges that the company did not "follow lockout/tagout procedures" nor did it "provide adequate machine guarding."
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.