Industrial hose manufacturer investigated by OSHA 8 times since 2013, receives $321K fine
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An OSHA investigation has determined that HBD Thermoid Inc. is continuing to expose workers to unsafe conditions. The industrial hose manufacturer has been inspected eight times since 2013. This latest investigation was conducted after the agency received a complaint. The company was ultimately cited for one willful, 11 serious, and two other-than-serious violations. These violations include a lack of machine guarding, failure to implement electrical safe work practices, and a lack of lockout/tagout procedures. HBD Thermoid faces $321,489 in proposed penalties. These penalties are on top of the $389,534 fine issued in December 2023 after the company was cited for two repeat violations, one willful violation, one serious violation, and one other-than-serious violation.
In a recent quote, OSHA Area Director Todd Jensen said, “The lack of safety procedures throughout the HBD/Thermoid plant and the company’s inaction shows that they remain indifferent to their obligation to protect their employees. For more than a decade, the company has jeopardized its employees’ well-being by not making workplace safety and health a priority.”
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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