An Illinois manufacturer is in hot water with federal OSHA for exposing its workers to amputation hazards and other injuries from unguarded machines.
The agency received a complaint related to these hazards, leading to an inspection that revealed workers operating numerous machines that weren’t properly guarded.
Inspectors also found employees performing maintenance on the machines without lockout/tagout procedures.
Fine: $298,453
Company: Walker Midwest LLC, Itasca, Illinois
Business: Motor vehicle metal stamping
Reasons for fine:
One willful violation for failing to:
- establish an energy control program consisting of procedures, training and periodic inspections
13 serious violations for failing to:
- provide machine guarding to protect operators from caught-on and in-between hazards
- ensure five individual machines on production lines were guarded to protect against crushing and amputation injuries
- provide adequate guarding on five individual mechanical power presses to prevent entry of hands or fingers into the point of operation
- ensure that a flywheel mounted at ground level was guarded
- effectively guard press welding machine operations by use of devices such as electronic eye safety circuits or two-hand controls
