El Paso Stamping Plant Cited for Amputations, Other Hazards

Stampcoat Inc. doing business as El Paso Tool & Die in El Paso, Texas, has been cited by federal safety officials for amputations and other serious workplace hazards.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company on Sept. 14 and proposed penalties totaling $119,000.

OSHA said a total of 33 citations were issued, 32 of them serious, for safety and health hazards. The violations include failing to properly safeguard workers against caught-between and impact hazards, properly shut down machinery during servicing and maintenance, and train workers on usingpersonal protective equipment such as hearing, hand and respiratory equipment.

OSHA conducted the inspection after an unguarded machine crushed a worker’s index and middle finger and amputated part of his ring finger. During the OSHA inspection, a machine sheared off the tip of another worker’s thumb.

“For somebody working with a die stamp, a proper machine guard can mean the difference between keeping your fingers or losing them. The violations at this facility led to two workers being permanently injured. OSHA’s standards addressing these hazards have existed for decades, and the failure to follow these most basic safety requirements is unacceptable,” said Diego Alvarado Jr., OSHA’s area director in El Paso.

Stampcoat, headquartered in El Paso, fabricates stamped metal components for equipment manufacturers and employs about 98 workers. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: OSHA

Topics Workers' Compensation