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Ohio manufacturer cited after OSHA finds pattern of injuries

Posted On: Oct. 25, 2016 2:22 PM CST

Ohio manufacturer cited after OSHA finds pattern of injuries

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued $536,249 in fines against an Ohio manufacturer after a worker lost two fingers in an accident, the agency said Monday.

Mansfield, Ohio-based Milark Industries Inc. makes automobile, motorcycle and appliance parts. OSHA said in a statement that a 22-year-old temporary employee suffered the partial amputation of two fingers on his left hand on his first day of work at Milark in May.

OSHA citations posted online say the company “did not ensure an employee applied lockout/tagout devices” in order to prevent accidents with company machinery, among other violations.

OSHA has proposed penalties of $536,249 to Milark Industries for “three willful egregious, one willful, and three serious violations of safety standards” from multiple investigations of injuries and complaints alleging unsafe working conditions. OSHA has placed Milark in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, the agency said in the statement. 

In May 2016, OSHA opened a complaint investigation at the company and found that an employee received a laceration injury in April. In September 2015, a 20-year-old worker suffered a serious injury, and in July 2015, a machine amputated three fingers and part of a fourth from the right hand of a 19-year-old Milark Industries worker, OSHA said. The company contested OSHA citations issued in both those cases, according to the statement. 

"Milark Industries continues to create an environment where employees are allowed to bypass machine safety procedures, and are threatened to be disciplined if they don't meet the production quotas. By doing so, the company is creating an unacceptable culture of risk and getting people hurt on the job," Kim Nelson, OSHA's area director in Toledo said in a statement. 

OSHA has set a December court date to review Milark’s safety citations. Milark Industries did not respond to call for comment.