Worker Crushed, Wisconsin Company Cited

April 4, 2000
OSHA issued citations and penalties totaling $238,250 to American Coating Technology Inc., where a worker inside an oven was crushed.

OSHA issued citations and penalties totaling $238,250 to American Coating Technology Inc. in Eau Claire, Wis., where a worker inside an oven was crushed.

According to Charles Burin, OSHA's area director in Eau Claire, a safety and health inspection was initiated on Oct. 6, 1999, when the accident occurred.

As a result of that inspection, OSHA cited the company for 33 alleged serious and five alleged willful workplace safety and health violations.

A worker was cleaning the inside of a paper coater oven. The hood of the oven was not locked.

Another worker accidentally closed the hood of the oven while reaching across the control panel. The worker inside the machine was crushed and died a few days later.

The alleged willful violation related to violation of the confined space standard as well as violations of the lockout/tagout standard.

The alleged serious violations involved fall protection, flammable liquids, personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, confined space entry requirements, first aid and forklift training.

American Coating Technology has 15 working day to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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