Large industrial materials require enormous machinery for production, and unfortunately, the large equipment may contain significant risks for employees. When operating any large equipment, employees must be vigilant to avoid accidents and injuries. Despite training and safety measures that should be in place, tragic industrial workers’ accidents occur. A foundry in southern California was recently fined for multiple safety violations that were discovered after a worker suffered permanent injury.
Large machines are often required for the job of casting metal. Reportedly, two employees entered a large 38-foot auger to clean it. For unknown reasons, the employees did not ensure that the machine was disconnected from its power supply prior to the cleaning. Another employee, who was approximately 45 feet away, turned the machine on, unaware of the cleaning that was underway.
Tragically one of the workers was drawn into the machine and thrust into the conveyor belt. The worker suffered serious injuries, and his legs were required to be amputated in the process. The California Department of Occupational Safety and Health investigated the accident and found safety violations. The foundry has been fined $280,000 for the violations.
Industrial workers’ accidents such as this one can have a have detrimental impact on a worker’s quality of life. After an injury, a worker can expect expensive medical bills and the inability to work for an unknown time period. Workers’ compensation insurance benefits are available to most employees, though it can be a difficult system to navigate. The right lawyer in California can assist injured employees with filing a claim.
Source: insurancejournal.com, “Southern California Foundry Hit With Fine in Accident That Caused Worker Amputation“, March 9, 2018