Manufacturer cited for safety hazards after finger amputation

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Friday said it has cited a Mobile, Alabama-based fiberglass pipe manufacturer for safety and health violations after an employee suffered a finger amputation, with $74,833 in proposed penalties.

OSHA investigators found that an RPS Composites Alabama Inc. employee’s safety-gloved hand was pulled into a pipe-winding machine, resulting in a finger amputation due to a lack of machine guarding.

OSHA cited RPS Composites Alabama for 10 serious and two other-than-serious violations for “exposing employees to struck-by and caught-in hazards by failing to install proper machine guarding; failing to train employees on how to control energy sources; and allowing combustible dust to accumulate,” OSHA said in a statement.

“Employers must evaluate their workplace to ensure employees are provided appropriate training, and the equipment they use is properly guarded to prevent amputation hazards,” Joseph Roesler, OSHA Mobile area office director, said in a statement.

RPS Composites Alabama could not be reached for comment.