Workplace accidents causing amputations mostly avoidable

Negligent business owners often expose industrial employees in New York and other states to amputation hazards. Too many workplace accidents are caused by non-compliance with the safety regulations prescribed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The agency recently reported the outcome of an investigation that followed an avoidable incident in another state that almost caused one employee to lose an arm.

OSHA says the accident took place in Sept. at one of the facilities of an international food and beverage manufacturer. The agency issued citations for serious violations because this was the second similar incident within six weeks. Reportedly, a 56-year-old employee was busy with routine maintenance when the mixing blade of a dough machine activated and caused multiple fractures to his arm. The previous incident happened in a similar manner, but that worker’s arm was amputated.

Safety inspectors determined that employees were uninformed about lockout/tagout procedures. These devices serve to isolate energy during cleaning and maintenance procedures to prevent unanticipated operation of dangerous working parts. OSHA says this protocol is one of the most basic requirements for workers’ safety in industrial facilities, and yet, the lack of these devices continue to cause amputations.

Such injuries are life-changing and typically compromise an employee’s ability to continue working in an industry for which he or she is trained. To help them care for their families, victims can file benefits claims with the workers’ compensation insurance system, but claims for maximum compensation for permanent disability may be challenging. For this reason, many New York victims of workplace accidents that caused amputations choose to consult with an experienced workers compensation attorney to pursue fair and comprehensive compensation for them.

Source: environmental-expert.com, “Lockout/Tagout Protocol Procedures Missing in Amputation Accidents“, Dec. 9, 2016