US Department of Labor (DOL) Finds Alabama Forklift Parts Manufacturer, Cullman Casting Corp., Could Have Prevented 38-year-old Worker’s Fatal Injuries.
Cullman Casting Corp exposed workers to caught-in hazards and was cited for 6 serious violations.
CULLMAN, AL (STL.News) A 38-year-old worker at a Cullman manufacturing plant suffered fatal injuries after getting caught inside a molding machine, a fatality the employer could have prevented by following established safety rules, a US Department of Labor workplace safety investigation found.
The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that on August 31, 2023, the Cullman Casting Corp. second shift production supervisor attempted to adjust a plastic film on a molding machine – meant to produce forklift counterweights – when the machine cycled, pinning the worker between the moving components inside.
OSHA investigators determined that the employer repeatedly exposed workers to safety hazards by failing to de-energize and lock out the automated molding machine while workers were performing maintenance and cleaning. Investigators found the company exposed workers to caught-in hazards by failing to do the following:
- Develop and utilize written lockout/tagout procedures.
- Conduct periodic inspections of lockout/tagout procedures.
- Ensure that employees are trained on lockout/tagout procedures.
- Ensure that employees are placing locks when conducting lockout/tagout procedures.
- Ensure machine guarding is in place for employees working in the pit.
“This tragic incident should never have occurred,” said OSHA Area Office Director Joel Batiz in Birmingham, Alabama. “Manufacturing companies use complex, high-powered, industrial-sized equipment, and every precaution must be taken, and every safety procedure followed. When an employer such as Cullman Casting Corp. fails to make safety a priority, severe and sadly fatal consequences can occur, leaving family and friends to grieve.”
OSHA cited the employer with six serious violations and proposed $95,981 in penalties, an amount set by federal statute.
Cullman Casting Corp is an iron foundry located in Cullman, Alabama, and a wholly owned subsidiary of North Vernon Industry Corp. Cullman Casting uses vacuum-process molding for counterbalance products.
SOURCE: DOL
