An Ohio subsidiary of one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers could have prevented a 26-year-old employee in Franklin from being fatally crushed in October 2023 if the company had provided proper machine guarding. OSHA responded after being informed of the incident and learned the worker, on the job for about a year, was placing cardboard under a machine that bends vehicle exhaust pipes when the incident happened.
OSHA issued 10 instance-by-instance citations after finding the company did not properly train employees — including temporary workers under the company’s control — in lockout/tagout procedures.
OSHA also issued a machine guarding violation. Investigators determined the employer failed to include detailed steps for lockout/tagout procedures, test its safety procedures annually and guard machines adequately.
Based on these alleged violations, the company exposed machine operators to struck-by and caught-between hazards.
In 2022, the agency cited the company for similar violations at the same location.
The company faces $314,555 in proposed OSHA penalties for its recent infractions.