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Last June, a 42-year-old employee of the McNeil Group’s Columbus, Ohio-based Pinnacle Metal Products got his head stuck between the guardrail of a motorized lift and a steel beam. He lost 50 percent of his vision in one eye and is completely blind in the other. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has investigated the facility and cited 11 safety violations in the staircase factory.
“It’s unacceptable that Pinnacle Metal Products failed to train workers properly in the operation of scissor lifts and to ensure adequate guards were in use on machinery in their facility, ultimately resulting in severe injury to this worker,” said the Columbus area OSHA director. “Companies must implement safeguards and create a culture of safety. Companies must provide workers with adequate training and ensure workers comprehend and understand safety precautions.”
The OSHA inspectors found that the company failed to provide sufficient machine protections which exposed employees to potential amputations, failed to require helmets during welding and failed to guard saws and grinders. Many of the violations were willful in that the company had full knowledge of the safety risks before taking them. OSHA will fine Pinnacle Metal Products $90,090; however, this is not the first time OSHA inspectors have cited the company. In 2011, they found two serious violations that would likely result in serious injury or death.
I Was Injured On The Job. How Do I Receive Workers’ Compensation?
Our attorneys have over 80 years of combined experience defending workers in the Columbus area from negligent employers. If you have been injured on the job or work in an unsafe facility but are afraid to speak up due to fear of termination, contact us. You are likely protected by the whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. To schedule a free consultation with one of our workers’ compensation attorneys, call us at (614) 221-7548.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys
Source: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25251