Company fined more than $130,000 after worker’s hand is partially amputated by unsafe machine

Added May 28th, 2010

OSHA inspectors found that a motorized saw at the Yonkers, N.Y., plant of H&H Woodworking Inc. cut off part of a worker’s hand because the machine was not equipped with required safety features.

Additional safety and health violations found during the inspection included accumulated combustible wood dust; improperly stored flammable liquids; a locked exit door; and workers allowed to eat food in areas where hazardous chemicals are used.

OSHA cited the company $130,800 for intentionally disregarding worker safety and health and for exposing workers to potentially known hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. "One means of preventing recurring hazards is for employers to establish effective comprehensive workplace safety and health programs that involve their workers in proactively evaluating, identifying and eliminating those hazards," said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.

Read the full article on the US Department of Labor website...