Pallet manufacturer fined $255K for repeatedly exposing workers to amputation hazards
An OSHA investigation has determined that M&H Crates Inc. is continuing to expose its workers to amputation hazards. During a follow-up inspection, OSHA investigators learned that the pallet manufacturer has not rectified safety concerns from over a decade ago. The company was cited for lockout/tagout (LOTO) violations in 2012, as well as during subsequent visits in 2014, 2020, and 2022.
In 2022, the company was cited for one willful violation and 12 serious violations. These violations included fall hazards, a lack of worker training on LOTO procedures, unsafe machine operations, and drivers operating forklifts without using seatbelts. M&H Crates now faces $254,527 in proposed penalties.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, OSHA Area Director Greg Wynn said, “M&H Crates Inc. continues to ignore its legal responsibility to comply with federal workplace safety standards. We will use all measures available to us to hold this company accountable for its continued willingness to expose employees to the serious dangers that exist in manufacturing workplaces.”
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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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