Manufacturer fined $171,884 after worker’s thumb is amputated

An OSHA investigation has uncovered that Quality Castings Company in Orrville, Ohio, failed to lockout a core mold machine’s operating parts during service and maintenance. An operator working on the machine suffered a right thumb amputation earlier this year. This tragic event happened only eight months after a different worker narrowly avoided a similar injury. OSHA’s investigation also uncovered that Quality Castings did not properly train workers on safety procedures and the machinery in question was not adequately guarded. The company faces $171,884 in fines for one willful and one serious safety violation.  

In a recent quote, OSHA Area Office Director Howard Eberts said, “After a near-miss on the same machine eight months earlier, the company should have re-evaluated the core mold machine’s operating and safety procedures. Doing so could have prevented this worker from suffering a lifelong injury.”