Texas Company Fined $91K After Amputation Accident

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Broan Nu-Tone Storage Solutions LP for one alleged willful and four alleged serious violations following the amputation of a worker’s hand at the company’s Cleburne, Texas, worksite. Proposed penalties total $91,000.

OSHA’s Fort Worth Area Office began its investigation on Aug. 27 at the company’s facility on South Willhite Street in Cleburne to investigate an accident involving the amputation of an employee’s hand which resulted from operating a 150-ton mechanical power press. A willful citation was issued for failing to provide adequate machine guarding.

Serious violations include failure to perform regular inspections of mechanical power presses, to provide adequate supervision while employees were working on hazardous equipment and to ensure adequate training was given for maintaining mechanical power press equipment.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director in Fort Worth or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: OSHA