Wooden post maker cited in partial hand amputation

U.S. workplace safety regulators cited a Georgia wooden post manufacturer and proposed $109,548 in fines after an employee suffered a partial hand amputation and other injuries while working on unguarded machinery.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Homerville, Georgia-based Dupont Yard Inc. for allowing employees to operate unguarded machinery and failing to have an emergency stop switch on a conveyor, exposing employees to caught-in and amputation hazards, according to a statement issued on Monday.

"This employer's disregard for safety is leaving employees vulnerable to preventable hazards,” Margo Westmoreland, OSHA Savannah, Georgia, area office director, said in the statement.

A company spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.