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Amputation prompts OSHA investigation, fines

On Behalf of | May 26, 2019 | Workers' Compensation

People in New Jersey should be able to trust that when they go to work and do their jobs, they are in an environment that they can safely perform their duties in. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some employers do not always make safety the priority it should be. When this happens, employees are at risk for being injured or made ill due to job-related incidents and environments.

While workers’ compensation benefits can be essential forms of assistance to injured or ill employees, it is important also for companies to be held accountable if their actions or lack thereof were part of what contributed to the need for such benefits.

According to a recent report by the Courier Post, one food company with production facilities in New Jersey and New York has now been fined by the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for repeated safety violations. An investigation was prompted after an incident at one of the company’s locations. An employee was forced to undergo an amputation.

OSHA found that the company failed to protect workers from serious risks when operating with or around machines at eight of their 20 locations. With a net worth of one billion dollars, the company has now been ordered to hire a consultant to develop a robust safety and health program, and to conduct two annual safety checks. Another nine employees are also required to be hired as safety personnel. The company will pay a fine more than $150,000.