Pasta Company Hit with $60,000 Fine for Switch Malfunction

A worker was cleaning a pasta mixer when his arm got caught in the mixer’s moving blades, causing serious injury. An MOL investigation found that the mixer’s electrical interlock switch, a device to stop the blades from moving when the mixer was open, hadn’t been maintained in good condition. The pasta company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that this switch was properly maintained and was fined $60,000 [Food Directions Inc., Govt. News Release, July 19, 2012].