Some Ohio workers have to deal with the risks of suffering catastrophic injuries during every shift they work — often because their employers disregard worker safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced that a manufacturer of garage doors was fined more than $515,000 for safety violations, including three cases within three months in which workers suffered amputation injuries due to unsafe work environments. Fortunately, workers’ compensation benefits are available for injured workers.
OSHA officials say one incident last September, and two in November, caused workers to lose fingers or have a finger crushed. Reportedly, one employee lost part of a finger while trying to determine a problem on a machine, and a power press crushed a finger of another worker. The agency says these incidents were all caused by safety violations.
Along with the failure to provide lockout/tagout devices and safeguards to prevent contact with moving machine parts, investigators also found that workers handled electrical equipment without the proper protections. Furthermore, competency evaluation for forklift operators was not done for the prior three years. Some of these were repeat violations.
Victims of any workplace injuries may file claims for the benefits that are available through the workers’ compensation insurance program. These typically cover medical expenses and lost wages. Also, if an amputation renders an employee unable to continue his or her current job, vocational rehabilitation could be arranged to teach a victim new skills for a different type of job. To assist with obtaining the maximum allowed benefits, the services of experienced Ohio workers’ compensation attorneys are available.
Source: bna.com, “$515K Fine After Three Amputations in Three Months at Ohio Company“, Alex Ebert, May 3, 2017