Aug. 29, 2012
Regulators with the Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration fined a Shelbyville, Indiana, glass manufacturer $150,000 after inspectors found the company had failed to correct several safety violations that led to the death of a worker in 2010, as well as several Indiana Workers’ Compensation claims. The Indianapolis Business Journal reports the fine was the second steepest penalty the agency had issued in the past year.
The investigation began after a 56-year-old maintenance technician at the plant was crushed to death after an air cylinder activated equipment near the conveyor belt he was working on. Regulators found the company had not trained employees on how to properly maintain the conveyor system and had no training program in place.
They also found the equipment was faulty and did not have certain safety features protecting workers from injury in the event of an accident, such as emergency shutoff switches.
The company initially faced a $15,000 fine for the violations. However, earlier this year, inspectors returned to the facility to find no work had been done to improve conditions. The company was again nailed with repeat violations for the same issues and now faces fines more than five times the initial amount.
The Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers with Stewart and Stewart Injury Lawyers say that employers have a responsibility to keep workers safe. That is why the firm encourages anyone who has been hurt at work through no fault of their own to discuss their legal options with an attorney.