Guarding Violation Costs Ginseng Farm $50,000

A seasonal worker at a ginseng farm and processing plant was cleaning out a machine used to wash and tumble ginseng. His arm was pulled into the machine’s exposed chain and pulley system and was seriously injured. The company pleaded guilty to failing to provide a guard or other device to prevent workers from accessing the moving parts of the system and was fined $50,000 [Scotlynn Investments Inc., Govt. News Release, Jan. 20, 2012].