The loss of four fingers apparently wasn’t enough to cause a New Jersey pet food manufacturer to correct workplace safety and health hazards identified in two different OSHA investigation.
After a follow up inspection to those earlier inspections - surrounding the finger amputations an employee suffered when a batch mixer activated while being cleaned - OSHA cited Hamiltime Herb Co. LLC for failing to:
- develop a lockout/tagout program to prevent unexpected machine startup, and
- develop a respiratory protection program for employees required to wear tight-fitting respirators
- adequately train and certify employees to operate a forklift and for
- exposing employees to unguarded machinery
The company faces proposed penalties totaling $152,829.
