Ardagh hit by fine after worker suffers amputated finger
US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Ardagh Glass for one willful and one serious safety violation.
Proposed penalties on Ardagh Glass, which is a subsidiary of Ardagh Group in Tampa, Florida, total $77,000.
Amputation and crushed hand
The worker suffered a finger amputation and crushed hand while removing a glass mold from a bottle-shaping machine at the company's facility in Warner Robins.
In a statement sent to FoodQualityNews.com the company said it was committed to the safety of its employees.
"In response to the incident that occurred in March 2013, the company has implemented changes in its procedures and processes to abate the concerns raised in the citation issued on 5 July 2013 by OSHA.
"The Warner Robins facility is part of a recent acquisition in the United States and is in the process of adopting Ardagh’s rigorous best practices including safety systems, processes and procedures.
"These best practices have been applied across the group and have led to year on year improvements in safety performance."
The willful violation involves failing to develop and utilize lockout/tagout procedures when workers are performing service and setup operations on equipment.
The serious violation involves failing to ensure workers that operate equipment were protected to prevent contact at the point of operation with moving parts and molten glass.
OSHA response
OSHA initiated an inspection in response to the incident under its National Emphasis Program on Amputations.
"The employer was fully aware that workers reached into the moving machine while they serviced the glass molds, yet nothing was done to protect workers from serious injury," said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office.
"It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that proper safety procedures are understood and followed at all times."
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before an independent commission.
