Guarding Violation Results in Amputation of Worker’s Fingers

A worker was cutting scrap material with a shear machine that had had its required guarding removed the day before for a custom job. A piece of material got hung up on a corner of the machine. The worker used one hand to wipe the material away and, while his hand was in the hazard area, he accidentally pressed down on the foot pedal, causing the shear to cycle and amputate multiple fingers. The company pleaded guilty to a guarding violation and was fined $60,000 [Yarl Metal Fabrications Inc., Govt. News Release, July 31, 2015].