Best of 2023: Top 10 news stories impacting the industry
2023 was a busy year for the manufacturing industry. New plants were popping up across the country, companies continued to invest in their operations and their employees, and organizations pushed to improve the health of the industry. Despite this rosy outlook, however, safety incidents resulting in injuries and death were regularly reported by OSHA, many employees were denied their rightful overtime pay, and underage workers were required to operate hazardous machinery. Here are the 10 most popular news stories from 2023.
Grain company fined $116K after suffering 2 serious safety incidents in less than 6 months
The company faces two willful violations and one serious violation for the July incident.
Explosion, fire at Illinois chemical plant releases “green substance” into surrounding neighborhoods
An explosion and subsequent fire at an Illinois chemical plant forced nearby residents to shelter in place.
Worker crushed to death at South Carolina Michelin plant
Coworkers found the man pinned between pieces of machinery at the plant.
Worker dies after being trapped in laser cutting machine
The Kearney Police Department reached out to OSHA to see if the incident needs to be investigated further.
Explosion at metal manufacturing facility kills maintenance worker
The incident occurred at the I. Schumann & Co. facility in Oakwood Village.
Explosion at Pennsylvania chocolate factory leaves 7 dead
The blast, which occurred at the R.M. Palmer Co. facility, destroyed one building, damaged another, and sent 10 people to the hospital.
German union criticizes Tesla for unreasonable working hours
Workers at the facility are claiming that required working hours are unreasonable and they are too afraid to speak out.
Worker dies from blastomycosis outbreak at Michigan paper mill
So far, everyone who has been affected by the outbreak has been a Billerud employee, did contract work for the company, or had visited the paper mill.
Amazon fined $60K for violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act
OSHA has cited 3 Amazon facilities in Florida, Illinois, and New York for exposing workers to “ergonomic hazards.”
Fire at Marathon refinery kills 1 worker and sends 2 to the hospital
The incident occurred while the three workers were performing maintenance on a 5,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Ultraformer 3 (UU-3).
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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