Publix Supermarkets faces $182,000 in OSHA fines in connection with the amputation of an employee’s hand.
OSHA received a complaint in September 2011 that a worker’s hand was amputated while cleaning conveyor equipment.
The safety agency has issued the following citations to Publix:
- one willful violation ($70,000) for failing to use procedures for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees service or clean equipment
- two repeat violations ($66,000) for failing to develop, document and use lockout/tagout procedures and not conducting an annual inspection of the energy control procedures
- six serious violations ($39,400), including failing to adequately train employees in lockout/tagout procedures and to install machine guarding equipment, and
- seven other-than-serious violations ($6,600), including failure to complete an OSHA 301 log injury and illness incident report for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Publix says it disagrees with OSHA’s findings and plans to appeal them.
Due to the repeat violations and nature of the hazards, OSHA has placed Publix in its Severe Violators Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance. The program focuses on employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations.
