Teenager Illegally Operates Machine, Loses Hand
OSHA has cited Shady Knob Pallet Co. for 17 serious safety violations.
OSHA has cited Shady Knob Pallet Co. of Middlefield, Ohio, for 17 serious safety violations after a teenager was allowed to illegally operate machinery and proceeded to lose his hand, the agency announced. The 14-year-old lost his hand when he touched the operating parts of a wood planer while manufacturing pallets.
OSHA reported the wood planer was one of several machines that lacked the required safety guards.
"Workers under age 18 are prohibited from operating power-driven woodworking machinery, such as the wood planer used here," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland. "Without safety mechanisms, personal protective equipment, and proper training, employees are at risk. Shady Knob Pallet Co. must know the laws and protect the safety and well-being of its workers."