Two Workers Suffer Amputations at Metal Stamping Facility, Firm Fined $214,830
"T & D Metal Products failed to ensure machine guarding and safety procedures were in place to protect employees, even after a worker was injured. This negligence contributed to a second worker being injured on the same type of equipment eight days later," said Tom Bielema, OSHA's area director in Peoria.
OSHA has cited T & D Metal Products LLC with four safety violations, including three willful, after two workers suffered amputation injuries at the company's Watseka, Ill., metal stamping facility. The incidents occurred on two separate press brakes, on Jan. 10 and Jan. 18. Proposed penalties for the citations total $214,830.
"T & D Metal Products failed to ensure machine guarding and safety procedures were in place to protect employees, even after a worker was injured. This negligence contributed to a second worker being injured on the same type of equipment eight days later," said Tom Bielema, OSHA's area director in Peoria. "Employers have a responsibility for following established safety practices to ensure equipment has safety guards and workers are provided with adequate training."
The willful violations include failing to lock out/tag out hazardous energy sources prior to performing maintenance operations and to have point-of-operation guarding on the press brakes on both Jan. 10 and Jan. 18.
One serious safety violation was cited for failing to use safety blocks when dies were being adjusted and repaired.
Prior to the January inspection, the company had been cited by OSHA for 47 violations since 1988.
OSHA has placed T & D Metal Products in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. The company was placed in the program due to the company's previous OSHA violations and the egregious violations cited in the January incidents.