OSHA Fines Food Company $86K After Two Machine Injuries

Global food products company Kerry Inc. was cited with one repeated and two serious violations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Dec. 5 after two separate machine injuries at the company’s Melrose Park, IL bread products facility, the agency announced Thursday.

A 52-year-old employee’s hand was amputated while clearing material from a bread crumb conveyor in August after the machine’s cyclone pulled the man’s hand into the machine, OSHA said in a press release. In September, a 57-year-old worker’s arm was injured when a mixing blade rotated unexpectedly as the man cleaned a dough machine.

“The tragic loss of one employee’s hand failed to serve as a catalyst for Kerry to re-evaluate its machine safety procedures. Subsequently, the lack of such procedures caused a second worker to suffer severe injuries,” a statement from OSHA’s area director for its Chicago North Area Office in Des Plaines, Angeline Loftus, said. “The injuries suffered by these employees could have been prevented if their employer had followed required safety procedures to isolate energy to machines before allowing workers to service them. Kerry needs to make immediate changes to its safety procedures to protect its workers on the job.”

The agency is proposing $89,942 in fines for the Ireland-based global food company. OSHA cited Kerry Inc. for similar issues in 2011 at the company’s Flemington, NJ facility.

During its investigation, the agency found that the company failed to conduct periodic inspections of machine lockout/tagout procedures and document and utilize written energy control procedures when servicing machines.

The company has 15 business days after the receipt of the OSHA citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with an OSHA area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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