Middletown business cited after worker’s injury

MIDDLETOWN — A cardboard packaging materials company has been cited after a machine at its plant here caused a temporary worker to suffer severe arm injury.

A citation was issued Sept. 16 against Honey Cell Inc. Midwest, 6480 Hamilton-Lebanon Road, Middletown, for one repeated and three serious safety violations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Columbus Area Office.

The citations follow an Aug. 8 incident when a 34-year-old worker suffer a severe compression injury to her right arm, according to OSHA.

OSHA’s investigation found the temporary worker had her hand and arm caught between an idler roll and the belt on a compression deck as she removed cardboard scrap with a utility knife.

In its investigation, the agency found energy control procedures were not followed and employees were not trained on energy sources and methods for energy isolation and control. OSHA also found that workers were not kept clear of rotating parts during removal of cardboard scrap and improperly stored oxygen compressed gas cylinders.

Proposed penalties for the incident total $96,741.

“Honey Cell could have prevented this serious injury by training workers in energy-control procedures and ensuring workers followed the procedures,” said Ken Montgomery, OSHA’s area director in Cincinnati, said in a statement. “The company needs to make permanent changes to its safety program and ensure hazards are identified quickly and unsafe working conditions are promptly corrected.”

OSHA cited Honey Cell, for similar violations of energy-control procedures in 2013.