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Ohio bakery fined for failing to remove safety hazard

On Behalf of | Nov 18, 2016 | Workplace Injuries

To the average Ohioan, bakeries do not seem especially hazardous places to work. This perception may be changed by charges leveled at an Ohio wholesale bakery by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an employee suffered a severe workplace injury.

The incident occurred on May 16, 2016 at the Klosterman Baking Company in Cincinnati. OSHA investigated the accident and found that a worker was using an air wand to remove bread crumbs from a bread wrapping machine; the machinery moved, causing the worker to lose his right arm below the elbow. On July 7, 2016, OSHA found that the bakery company had failed to correct the hazard that caused the injury and that workers were still exposed to serious injury. The employer was faulted for failing to cut off electricity to the machine while it was being cleaned. After the accident, the company did not alter its safety procedures and continued to permit employees to clean the machine while it was capable of operating and causing serious injury.

The OSHA investigators also found that the company failed to periodically inspect the machine and review its cleaning procedures. The company also failed to reduce compressed air pressure during the cleaning process to 30 pounds per square inch. OSHA has recommended a fine of $146,979 for the violations. The company has not yet responded to the charges.

Anyone who has been injured or lost a loved one in a workplace accident may wish to consult a lawyer who specializes in seeking compensation for workplace injuries. Such a consultation can provide a helpful evaluation of the case and an estimate of the likelihood of recovering workers’ compensation or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits

Source: WorkersCompensation.com, “OH Worker Suffers Amputation at Wholesale Baking Company,” Nov. 11, 2016