Bakerhill, AL – OSHA has issued 12 citations for serious safety violations to a meat processing plant located in southeast Alabama. An investigation was triggered after an employee’s fingertip was amputated in an accident at the Keystone Foods processing plant in Bakerhill (AL). OSHA is proposing $76,734 in fines.
In March of this year, a 65-year-old employee lost the tip of his index finger while cleaning an overhead saw blade at the plant. OSHA’s subsequent investigation uncovered numerous serious safety violations including amputation hazards due to ung
uarded machinery and failure to follow safety procedures to prevent machinery from starting while cleaning, among others. Such procedures are known as Lockout/Tagout.
OSHA laws require each piece of equipment to have lockout procedures written specifically for it. These lockout procedures provide detailed instructions on how to isolate and lock each energy source for a given piece of equipment. Lockout/Tagout (or LOTO) helps to prevent the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment, and/or prevents the release of hazardous energy during service and maintenance activities. Writing equipment-specific procedures for each piece of equipment can seem like the most difficult part of implementing a lock out tag out program in any kind of manufacturing facility – Martin Technical’s Rapid LOTO lockout procedure development program is designed to provide high quality procedures that are easy to follow.
Approximately 3 million workers service equipment and these people face the greatest risk of injury if lockout/tagout (LOTO) is not properly implemented. Compliance with federal lockout/tagout standards prevents an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year. Contact a Martin Technical Safety and Compliance Expert today to discuss how we can help your company implement an effective lockout/tagout (LOTO) program and policy for your facility.
The Keystone plant in Bakerhill (AL) is operated by Keystone Foods of West Chester (PA). Keystone is a supplier of fresh and frozen food products including poultry, beef, fish and pork.
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