Ohio Manufacturer of Fasteners Exposes Workers to Amputation Hazards, OSHA Finds Multiple Machines Lack Guarding, Proposes Fines of $121K

More than 30 workers were at-risk of amputation and other injuries daily while manufacturing nuts and bolts at a Berea factory. Federal inspectors found Telefast Industries Inc. failed to install guards and use recommended safety procedures to prevent workers from coming in contact with operating parts of machinery, violations for which inspectors previously cited the company in 2014.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Telefast for four repeated, two serious and two other-than-serious safety violations on Jan. 21. The agency has proposed penalties of $121,000.

"I cannot imagine reaching into a machine to clear a product jam or make a quick fix without knowing the machine was inoperable," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland. "Yet, these workers - like thousands do across the nation each day - reached into operating machines. Many suffer severe and disabling injuries. Employers must protect their workers on the job."

Investigators also found Telefast did not provide workers with head and face protection against an arc flash as they worked with live voltage while troubleshooting and conducting maintenance on electrical equipment. Additionally, cranes were not inspected as required.