Ohio manufacturer fined $254K after worker is caught in a pinch point and suffers severe injuries
An OSHA investigation has determined that ArcelorMittal Tubular Products USA LLC failed to protect a 60-year-old employee from severe injuries. The employee, who was working as a tube handler, became caught in a pinch point created by a bundle of steel tubes and a rotating roller conveyor and suffered lower arm and wrist injuries. OSHA’s investigation deduced that the company did not guard the conveyor’s pinch points adequately, which led to the accident. Similar hazards were also found at the company’s Shelby facility in 2022.
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ArcelorMittal Tubular Products was ultimately cited for four repeat violations. These violations include failing to implement proper machine guarding, a lack of worker training, and a failure to execute required lockout/tagout procedures. The company faces $253,515 in proposed penalties.
In a recent quote, OSHA Area Director Todd Jensen said, “The inspection of ArcelorMittal Tubular Products was one of nearly 1,700 inspections related to machine hazards and potential amputation injuries in Ohio in the past five years. This was a preventable injury had the company taken appropriate action to prevent workers from contacting moving machine parts, violations for which OSHA cited the company previously. Safety should be a core value of every company.”
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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