OSHA cited Durango-Georgia Paper Co. for the second time in eight months, and proposed penalties totaling $157,500, following a double amputation at the company''s St. Mary''s facility.
The agency received a complaint after an employee''s arms were caught and amputated in an unguarded paper machine on Nov. 1.
The worker remained trapped for more than 30 minutes before maintenance workers were able to free him.
Last August, OSHA cited Durango after an employee''s hand was crushed in a similar accident.
The agency is proposing two willful violations and penalties of $140,000 for machine guarding and "lockout/tagout" hazards, according to Teresa Harrison, OSHA''s Savannah area director.
"If the employer had heeded our concerns eight months ago regarding machine guarding and lockout/tagout, this tragic accident could have been avoided," said Harrison. "The company failed to lock out the machine to render it inoperable during maintenance."
Additional penalties of $17,500 are being proposed for three serious violations: elevated platforms without guardrails; not providing proper tools to employees to clean machine rollers; and lack of training for employees on lockout/tagout procedures.
The company, a subsidiary of Mexico-based Corporation Durango, has 15 working days to contest the citations.
Corporation Durango has approximately 3,000 employees, with about 1,200 at the St. Mary''s site.
by Virginia Sutcliffe
About the Author
EHS Today Staff
EHS Today's editorial staff includes:
Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.
Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.
Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.