An employee of Lindenhurst-based Marley Building Materials was shoveling sand onto a conveyer belt Feb. 19th when his left arm got caught in the conveyer belt. His arm was amputated above the elbow.
A subsequent inspection by OSHA found that the conveyors in the production area were not guarded to prevent employees from being caught in conveyor moving parts during operation.
"This is precisely the type of injury that machine guarding is designed to prevent. It is a graphic example of the pain and suffering caused when an employer fails to ensure that machines and equipment have the required safeguards installed," said Anthony Ciuffo, OSHA's Long Island area director.
OSHA's inspection found that the plant also lacked a hazardous energy control program, procedures, lockout hardware and training for workers who inspect, maintain and repair the conveyors and other machines. Hazardous energy control involves locking out a machine's power source, so it cannot be unintentionally activated during inspection, repair and maintenance. Other identified hazards included missing stair railings; exposed live electrical parts; safeguards designed to protect employees during an emergency, which were not in proper working order; floors and railings coated with cement dust; inadequate chemical hazard communication training; and not evaluating the workplace to determine if there were permit-required confined spaces which employees must enter.
The agency has cited the company for 13 serious violations of workplace safety with a proposed $50,000 in proposed fines.
Machine guarding hazards and safeguards information is at https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/machineguarding/index.html and https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/machineguarding/index.html.
