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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspected a facility owned by Packaging Corporation of America, after receiving complaints that workers were reaching into moving machinery without turning off the power.
Moving machine parts can cause serious crushing and laceration injuries, including amputation. Lockout/tagout procedures can protect workers by requiring all non-functioning machinery to be removed from any power source and clearly labeled to prevent accidental use.
The Akron facility was cited for failing to implement lockout/tagout procedures or install machine guards, which can also protect workers from dangerous machinery.
Most of the citations were for repeat violations, after inspectors found similar violations at the company’s facilities in Opelika, Alabama and Tomahawk, Wisconsin. OSHA’s inspection of the Tomahawk facility was in response to a serious accident, after a worker sustained severe burns while attempting to relight a steam boiler.
In the past five years, Packaging Corporation of America’s facilities have received more than 100 safety violations during OSHA inspections. According to OSHA’s policy on repeat violations, parent companies should address any identified hazards at all affiliated locations.
Even over five years, the corporation’s numerous violations mean that countless workers have risked injury, illness or death on the job. By refusing to address these hazards at all locations, the company has demonstrated a lack of concern for its employees’ safety or OSHA compliance.
No matter how hard government agencies try to monitor workplace conditions, some companies will always try to cut corners. Whether it is due to negligence, ignorance or greed, your employer’s actions could endanger your health.
I Was Injured On the Job! What Are My Legal Options?
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Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys