The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that Cullman Casting Corp., an Alabama-based business, could have prevented a tragic incident that resulted in the death of a 38-year-old worker by implementing basic safety measures. Following the death of Michael Thompson, OSHA proposed fines totaling $95,981 against the company for six serious violations that led to his demise.
Thompson was the second shift production supervisor at the foundry and was killed when he attempted to adjust a plastic film on a mold machine designed to produce forklift counterweights. The machine cycled, pinning the worker between moving components, causing his death. OSHA investigators found that the company had repeatedly exposed workers to safety hazards by failing to de-energize and lockout the automated molding machine during maintenance and cleaning tasks.
The violations cited by OSHA included failing to develop and utilize written lockout/tagout procedures, conduct periodic inspections of lockout/tagout procedures, train employees on lockout/tagout procedures, ensure the placement of locks during lockout procedures, and provide machine guarding for workers in the pit. OSHA Area Office Director Joel Batiz emphasized the importance of following safety procedures, especially in industries that use complex and high-powered equipment to prevent tragic incidents like Thompson’s death.
Cullman Casting now has until 15 business days from the date of notification on February 29th to decide whether to comply with OSHA’s findings, request an informal conference or contest them before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The company is facing maximum fines allowed under law for these safety violations that led to Thompson’s unfortunate demise.
