Worker Injured at Massachusetts Plant
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently cited a Lancaster, Massachusetts packaging company for an incident late last year that cost a man his life. On November 7, 2011, a 29-year-old worker at Horn Packaging Corporation was operating a corrugated box-making machine when he became entangled in the machine’s moving parts. According to investigators, the machine’s drive shaft had no safety guard and once the worker became ensnared in the machine it was impossible to reverse. Sadly, he died from his injuries.
OSHA levied fines totaling $130,300 against Horn Packaging for 12 safety violations related to the worker’s death. The company received a willful citation – used when a company willfully disregards known safety defects – for the use of the machine without a safety guard. The additional eleven serious violations were identified following a further in-depth safety review by the agency following the death of the worker at the plant. These violations involved issues concerning the overall lack of safety training for workers as well as other machines at the same plant lacking proper safety equipment or hazard guards.
Employees should expect that their workplace, even when it involves heavy machinery or dangerous chemicals, is free of most avoidable risk. Safety at work is not merely a recommendation; it is a right of the employed.
An injured worker or someone who is concerned about safety violations at their job can contact OSHA which will review all workplace safety or injury concerns. In addition, an experienced attorney can help assist in the legal ramifications of a workplace injury.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a workplace accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney can assess your case and help you get the compensation you deserve for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. For more information, contact a personal injury attorney today.