OSHA to Issue $511K Fine to Missouri Company Where Worker Died

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it will fine Loren Cook Co. of Springfield $511,000 for an accident that killed a worker.

The Springfield News-Leader reported that OSHA cited the company for allowing its employees to work on dangerous equipment without safeguarding the machinery. OSHA says the company also exposed workers to being hit by debris from manual spinning lathes.

Fifty-nine-year-old Charles Knapp of Walnut Grove died May 13 when he was working on a piece of metal that came loose and struck him in the head.

Loren Cook manufactures industrial ventilation equipment. It employs about 800 workers, with about 580 at the Springfield site and the rest at a North Carolina site.

The company has 15 business days from Nov. 10 to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest the findings.