A 44-year-old machine operator suffered severe injuries when a part of his face was caught in a power press he operated at Parker Hannifin Corp.'s Lewisburg, Ohio, plant. Following an investigation, OSHA  issued one repeat citation and two serious safety violations for exposing the worker to machinery operating parts with inadequate safeguards. Proposed penalties total $52,500.

"Employers must maintain machine guarding on mechanical power presses and ensure proper guarding adjustment to protect operators from injury," said Bill Wilkerson, OSHA's area director in Cincinnati. "Injuries that involve machinery and equipment often result in amputation, death or permanent disability. These are completely preventable hazards, which OSHA continues to identify and eliminate because they are among the most frequently cited."

OSHA determined that the employee, who worked at the company for 17 years, was caught between the upper and lower die in the press while he trimmed a forged tube fitting part, Sept. 17, 2014. The three violations cite the plant, which manufactures hydraulic tube fittings, for improperly adjusted machine guarding.

In 2010, Parker Hannifin was cited for a similar violation at its Batesville, Mississippi, plant, which resulted in a repeat violation. OSHA issues repeat violations if an employer previously was cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

Parker Hannifin employs approximately 57,500 people in 50 countries and is headquartered in Cleveland.