An employee was severely injured when he became caught in unguarded arbor rollers at Kloeckner Metals Corp. on April 22, 2014. OSHA has cited the Cincinnati manufacturing plant with one repeat and three serious safety violations, carrying proposed penalties of $56,000.

A culture that needs to change

"This worker suffered a catastrophic injury because Kloeckner Metals failed to observe basic safety procedures," said Bill Wilkerson, OSHA's area director in Cincinnati. "The company knew how dangerous these machines could be, and they did not put their employees first. It's a culture too common in the manufacturing industry, and it needs to change."

Cited for same violation previously

OSHA's April 28, 2014, inspection found that a worker was exposed to the in-running nip point created by two rollers on the slitting line. He got caught in the nip point and suffered severe injuries. The company was issued a repeat violation for inadequate machine guarding. The company was previously cited for this violation at the same location in 2013.

Other amputation hazards found at the facility included the company's failure to implement specific lockout/tagout procedures to prevent machinery from operating during service and maintenance, which resulted in three serious citations. Specifically, workers clearing scrap on the slitting line were not provided devices to shut down machines during these activities, and mechanics were not trained on how to use them. These violations are among the most frequently cited by OSHA.

Kloeckner Metals Corp. is based in Roswell, Georgia. The company employs 56 workers at its Cincinnati facility.