Worker suffers partial arm amputation, hardwood flooring manufacturer fined $256K
An OSHA investigation has determined that Appalachian Wood Floors Inc., operating as Graf Custom Hardwood, could have prevented the severe injury of a 23-year-old worker. The incident occurred at the company’s Charles Street facility while the employee was troubleshooting a rip saw machine. According to the agency, the saw’s safety device was bypassed. The worker then became entangled in the machines’ rotating blades, causing them to suffer a partial arm amputation.
This is not the first time the hardwood flooring manufacturer has violated federal safety standards. The company’s Campbell Avenue facility has been inspected five times since 2022 and has been cited for recurring safety violations. Additionally, the Charles Street facility was cited for machine safety violations in 2022.
During this most recent inspection, Appalachian Wood Floors was cited for eight repeat, two serious, and four other-than-serious violations. These violations include:
- Failing to adequately train employees on lockout/tagout procedures
- Not mandating the use of lockout/tagout when troubleshooting machines, changing blades, cleaning rollers, and changing colors
- Multiple electrical safety violations
- Failing to train employees on proper forklift usage
The company faces $255,528 in proposed penalties.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, OSHA Area Director Ken Montogomery said, “A preventable tragedy has left a young man with a permanent, life-altering injury. Bypassing machine safety procedures puts workers at extreme risk. Appalachian Wood Floors must make worker safety a priority by ensuring proper training, enforcing safety standards, and maintaining machine safety guards to prevent future incidents.”
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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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