Guarding Violation Costs Soda Company $70,000

A worker was operating a palletizer machine at a soda pop plant when he noticed that cases of product were becoming stuck on transfer plates due to spilled pop. The palletizer machine has a gate that’s interlocked so the machine stops if the gate is opened. The worker reached inside the opening in the gate to spray the plate with silicone without shutting off the production line. As he did so, a push bar cycled on and pinched his arm between the bar and a metal support beam. He suffered a fractured arm. The soda company pleaded guilty to a guarding violation and was fined $70,000 [Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Govt. News Release, Nov. 14, 2013].