A major food manufacturer earned half a dozen serious citations from OSHA after the agency investigated following the amputation injury of a worker on March 7, 2016.
The 65-year-old employee of Keystone Foods in Bakerhill, Alabama was cleaning an overhead saw and made contact with the unguarded saw blade, causing the tip of his left index finger to be amputated.
OSHA enforcement officers identified the following violations:
- Exposing employees to falls due to unguarded platforms.
- Exposing workers to amputation hazards due to unguarded saws and other machinery.
- Failing to follow safety procedures to prevent machinery from starting while cleaning.
- Failing to ensure workers wore eye protection.
- Failing to address the hazards of propane tanks stored near the ammonia refrigeration.
- Not including procedure to follow in the emergency action plan related to ammonia release.
Proposed penalties: $76,734
Joseph Roesler, OSHA's area director in the Mobile Office, said the incident could have been prevented if the company had followed OSHA standards. "Keystone Foods is exposing workers to numerous serious safety hazards and must be more proactive with assessing the workplace for deficiencies and taking action to correct them.
Based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Keystone Foods is a global food services company that supplies fresh and frozen products such as poultry, beef, fish and pork.
