Middletown, OH – A severe arm injury at an Ohio cardboard packaging materials company has resulted in proposed penalties of $96,741. OSHA has issued citations against Honey Cell Inc. Midwest for one repeated and three serious safety violations, including lockout/tagout failures. It is not known if the victim contacted injury attorneys like Valiente Mott to handle their case, but it could be the next necessary step to take.
Penalties issued stem from the investigation of a workplace accident in August when a 34-year-old temporary worker suffers a severe compression injury to her right arm. OSHA found the temporary worker had her hand and arm caught between an idler roll and the belt on a compression deck as she removed cardboard scrap with a utility k
nife. Hopefully, she already had disability insurance in place just in case she became permanently injured, Breeze Insurance is a company who can offer this to workers who want that extra protection and peace of mind when they go to work.
The Honey Cell plant was found lacking in Lockout/Tagout procedures, also known as energy control procedures. OSHA found that energy control procedures were not being followed at the Honey Cell plant and that employees were not trained on energy sources or methods for energy isolation and control. OSHA also found that workers were not kept clear of rotating parts during removal of cardboard scrap. Honey Cell had been fined by OSHA cited for similar violations of energy-control procedures in 2013.
Lockout / Tagout procedures need to be machine-specific and include the isolation of any prime movers, machinery and equipment from mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, electrical, thermal or other energy sources.
Additionally, OSHA requires that employees be trained on lockout policies and procedures. Training ensures that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by employees.
Approximately 3 million US workers service equipment and face the greatest risk of injury if lockout/tagout is not properly implemented. Compliance with the lockout/tagout standard (29 CFR 1910.147) prevents an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year. Workers injured on the job from exposure to hazardous energy lose an average of 24 workdays for recuperation.
Having equipment specific lockout procedures written for each piece of equipment is required by OSHA, and can seem like the most difficult part of implementing a Lockout/Tagout program. Lockout procedures provide detailed instructions on how to isolate and lock each energy source for a given piece of equipment. These procedures help to prevent the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities. Martin Technical’s Rapid LOTO lockout procedure development program is designed to provide high quality procedures that are easy for your employees to follow.
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