Baking company cited by OSHA after worker loses part of arm

An Ohio baking company is facing $146,979 in proposed fines from federal workplace safety regulators after a 28-year-old maintenance worker lost part of his right arm in an improperly guarded bread wrapping machine.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Cincinnati, Ohio-based Klosterman Baking Co. for one willful and two serious violations of safety standards, according to an agency press release issued on Thursday. 

The worker was using an air wand to remove bread crumbs from the machine and conveyor belt when he was injured in May, resulting in the amputation of his right arm just below the elbow, according to OSHA. 

In July, OSHA inspectors found the wholesale baking company continued to allow employees to clean the machine without isolating operating parts, a process known as lockout/tagout, according to the agency. 

"A 28-year-old worker suffered a permanent and debilitating injury because his employer failed to follow required safety procedures and isolate energy to this machine before allowing workers to clean it," Ken Montgomery, OSHA's area director in Cincinnati, said in the statement. "Just as tragic is the fact that the company failed to re-evaluate its machine safety procedures and continued to expose other workers to the same hazard even after this young man lost part of his arm."

A company spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.