Inadequate Guard Leads to Severed Fingers and $70,000 Fine

A worker for a paper manufacturer placed a hand under a plastic guard to reach into a machine that folds and cuts paper into napkins in violation of his training and a sign posted on the machine. After placing his arm inside the machine, he inadvertently moved forward, causing his hand to come into contact with the blades on the machine’s rollers. As a result, his fingers were severed. An MOL investigation found that the manufacturer failed to ensure that the machine was properly guarded. It pleaded guilty to a safety violation and was fined $70,000 [Metro Paper Industries Inc., Govt. News Release, June 26, 2013].