Glass Manufacturer Fined $50,000 after Workers Remove Guard

A worker unloading glass sheets from a mechanized conveyor stumbled and reached out to stop from falling. His hand made contact with a mechanized roller and was pulled around it. He lost a finger and tendon. A MOL investigation found that although the employer had installed a guardrail in front of the conveyor, workers had removed it to make their job easier. So at the time of the incident, there were no other protective devices to prevent workers from accessing the rollers on that part of the conveyor.  The glass manufacturer pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the conveyor was guarded to prevent access to its moving parts and was fined $50,000 [Southwest Glass Products Inc., Govt. News Release, March 22, 2012].