A hydraulic press crushed a 62-year-old machine operator's left hand at a seal and gasket manufacturer, resulting in multiple broken bones. The injured worker, a 15-year employee, has been unable to return to work and has endured three surgeries as a result.
OSHA inspectors found in January that Lauren Manufacturing LLC ignored required machine safety guards that would have prevented the woman's hand from touching press operating parts.
OSHA issued one willful, four serious and one other-than-serious safety violations to the New Philadelphia rubber seal and gasket manufacturer on July 13. Proposed penalties total $105,000.
May never work again
"This employee may never come back to work because Lauren Manufacturing ignored safety requirements that would have prevented this catastrophic injury, which affects her life and livelihood," said Deborah Zubaty, OSHA's area director in Columbus. "Each year, hundreds of workers are injured on-the-job because employers, like this one, fail to provide a safe work environment, as the law requires."
The agency cited the company for one willful violation for exposing workers to machinery operating parts. It issued four serious violations for failing to develop and train workers on steps for shutting down or isolating energy sources to machinery during maintenance and service, such as mold changes.
Failed to notify OSHA
Lauren Manufacturing was also issued one other-than-serious violation for failing to notify OSHA of the injury. Under reporting requirements, companies must report any worker hospitalization within 24 hours.
To view current citations, visit http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/LaurenManufacturingLLC_1022119.pdf.
Based in New Philadelphia, Lauren International is the parent company for eight subsidiaries, including Lauren Manufacturing. The company employs about 275 workers at the New Philadelphia manufacturing plant and more than 440 corporatewide.
