.png)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) charged Liqui-Box Corporation with three serious violations and one normal violation for failure to meet safety requirements after a serious workplace injury.
OSHA began an investigation into the Ohio business after one of its workers lost a thumb in an accident. The worker was operating a plastic blow molding press. The machine’s mold closed on the worker’s hand, and led to the amputation of the worker’s thumb.
The violation resulted in a $42,000 fine to the company for creating an environment where that sort of accident could happen. According to an OSHA representative, there are plenty of common safety measures known in the industry that would have prevented the accident. Additionally, the law requires that companies report a workplace accident within 24 hours, but Liqui-Box neglected to do so.
Incidents such as this one are by no means uncommon. In 2015, OSHA reports that there was an average of 30 serious workplace accidents a day. These resulted in 2,644 amputations similar to what happened to this Ohio worker. OSHA also reported that the majority of accidents occurred at manufacturing companies, and many were a result of businesses with a history of safety violations.
How to handle a workplace injury
If you are injured at work and you feel like you aren’t being treated fairly, contact an attorney. Getting injured at work can be a stressful, at times even tragic experience. The last thing you want is to have to deal with the added pressure of jumping over legal hurdles. Seeking legal counsel can help you identify what you are entitled to and make sure that your employer provides it. Often you can sit down and discuss the basic needs of your case without committing to any sort of payment.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC is an Ohio workers’ compensation law firm that has been fighting for injured workers for more than 80 years.