A Cleveland bakeware manufacturer faces $182K in fines after two workers suffered amputations due to unguarded machinery.
G&S Metal Products Co. was the subject of a Department of Labor investigation after concerns were raised about unsafe working conditions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that two separate incidents could have been avoided if the bakeware producer had implemented proper safety measures, resulting in the looming fines.
$182K in fines loom for Cleaveland bakeware manufacturer
OSHA found that the Ohio company did not “equip its machinery with adequate guarding or enforce critical safety protocols, including establishing proper lockout/tagout procedures, and failed to provide effective employee training in machine safety.”
Firstly, on June 25, 2024, a 37 year old employee was operating a power press when the equipment “cycled unexpectedly as the worker was servicing the machine.” This exposed the person to hazardous moving parts. The OSHA investigators found that the press’s pullbacks were not adequately secured, resulting in and adding to, the severity of the injury.
Just two weeks later, a newly added worker, who was 64 years old, also suffered another power press injury which resulted in an amputation.
They had been clearing scrap from a mechanical power press, and the investigators found that the “die on the machine closed without warning, leading to the injury” and that again, there was insufficient guarding of the machinery.
“These two workers must live with permanent injuries because their employer failed to ensure that adequate guarding was in place,” explained OSHA Area Director Howard Eberts in Cleveland. “G&S Metal Products Co. Inc. must take immediate action to evaluate and address machine safety across its operations. Employers have an obligation to adhere to basic safety standards to ensure every worker returns home safely.”
G&S Metal Products Co. Inc., founded in 1949, manufactures commercial and consumer bakeware pans, kitchen gadgets, and accessories for worldwide distribution from its Ohio base.
Image: Pexels.
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