A worker was fatally crushed when he became trapped by a component of a machine.

Lack of machine safety procedures at a plastics plant lead to the death of one of its workers, OSHA says.

According to a press release, a production manager at Encore Industries Inc., operating as Encore Plastics Corp./IPL Global, was clearing a thermoforming machine when he was fatally crushed after he was trapped by the conveyor. The incident occurred at the Cambridge, Ohio plant in November 2021.

OSHA investigated the company and found that Encore Industries did not ensure that steps to control energy were included in procedures, conducted services on machines knowing that components were still running and did not audit procedures in a timely manner.

Investigations also found out that other incidents had occurred with the same thermoforming machine on the same day and two days prior. According to the press release, the other “workers barely escaped injury.”

During the investigation, a complaint was filed to OSHA. The agency found that workers were not trained in forklift safety. It also found that pathways were obstructed and unmarked.

OSHA cited the company for one willful, one repeat, five serious and two other violations. OSHA proposed $291,086 in penalties.

In 2020, the company was cited for lockout/tag out citations twice.

Alex Saurman is the Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety.

Is your company leveraging its safety data and analytics to maintain a safe workplace? With so much data available, where do you start? This downloadable guide will give you insight on helpful key performance indicators (KPIs) you should track for your safety program.

This guide includes details on how to conduct a thorough Job Hazard Analysis, and it's based directly on an OSHA publication for conducting JHAs. Learn how to identify potential hazards associated with each task of a job and set controls to mitigate hazard risks.

Learn from safety professionals from around the world as they share their perspectives on various “new views” of safety, including Safety Differently, Safety-II, No Safety, Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), Resilience Engineering, and more in this helpful guide.

As organizations digitalize and remote operations become more commonplace, the number of lone workers is on the rise. These employees are at increased risk for unaddressed workplace accidents or emergencies. This guide was created to help employers better understand common lone worker risks and solutions for lone worker risk mitigation and incident prevention.

Learn the keys to staying organized, staying sharp, and staying one step ahead on all things safety. This buyer’s guide is designed for you to use in your search for the safety management solution that best suits your company’s needs.

14901 Quorum Drive, Suite 425 Dallas, TX 75254 (972) 687-6700