Worker’s Hand Injury While Repairing Machine Results in $75,000 Fine

A worker was repairing a napkin-folding machine. He tested it by looking at the sensing pressure and using one hand to check if the tension arm had any vibration or heat. While pulling his hand off the tension arm, it got caught at a pinch point on the driving belt system. He sustained a broken finger and lost part of another. The company pleaded guilty to failing to provide the worker with information, instruction and supervision on how to safely perform maintenance on and/or test the operation of a machine. The court fined it $75,000 [Metro Paper Industries Inc., Govt. News Release, Aug. 20, 2015].