Chicago Medical Glass Manufacturer Cited for Repeat Safety Violations
The Germany-based Gerresheimer Glass Inc. failed to provide required training, exposing workers to machine hazards, according to OSHA investigators.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- May 10, 2024
Following a recent inspection, OSHA uncovered safety lapses at a Chicago facility fun by medical glass manufacturer Gerresheimer Glass Inc. that left workers vulnerable to machine-related hazards, resulting in a total of $145,415 in proposed penalties.
According to a recent release, the January 2024 inspection followed previous visits in October 2022 and December 2022. The agency ultimately cited Gerresheimer with one repeat violation and four serious violations.
These included a failure to provide employee training for forklift operation as well as service and maintenance tasks such as mold changes on production lines and bottle machines. Gerresheimer also neglected machine-specific energy control procedures during mold changes and exposed workers to an unguarded chain and sprocket on a crusher machine as well as trip hazards from floor panels.
“Ignoring OSHA and industry-recommended machine safety procedures is a leading cause of injuries in the manufacturing industry,” OSHA Chicago South Area Director James Martineck in Tinley Park, Illinois, said in a statement. “Workers must be trained in specific safety procedures for each machine they operate or service, and they should never be exposed to operating machine parts. Employers are responsible for ensuring safe working conditions for all employees in their facilities.”
Gerresheimer Glass Inc.—which is based in Germany but has 35 production sites across 16 countries—now has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference or contest the agency’s findings before an independent commission.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.