Workplace Amputation Prompts Investigation at Furniture Manufacturer
OSHA has proposed more than $58,000 in penalties.
OSHA has issued Tritter Feefer Home Collection LLC of LaGrange, Ga., one willful and four serious safety violations, according to an agency press release. The company manufactures wooden household furniture.
After a Tritter employee suffered an amputation to the tip of his middle finger, an OSHA investigation discovered safety guards on a saw had been removed. The employee was using the saw to cut wood strips when his hand made contact with the saw blade, leading to the amputation.
The willful violation was issued for exposing workers to an unguarded saw blade, while the serious violations were related to the employee's failure to ensure drill presses were properly guarded and secured to the floor. OSHA has issued $58,520 in penalties in this case.
"This horrific and totally preventable injury is a stark reminder of the dangers of disregarding OSHA standards," said Christi Griffin, OSHA's director of the Atlanta-West Office. "Aside from the saw that injured the worker, we found other unguarded machines and hazards that Tritter must address immediately, before another incident happens."