Solutions for Safety & Visual Communication

Monday-Friday 5:30am-4:00pm PT

1-888-326-9244

Graphic Products
  • Resources
  • Support
  • Samples
  • Contact
  • Shop All Products
    CLOSE

    CATEGORIES
    • Printers
    • Printer Supply
    • Floor Marking
    • Pipe Marking
    • Safety Signs
    • Safety Labels

    DuraLabel Kodiak

    DuraLabel Kodiak
    Multi-color, large format

    KODIAK SUPPLIES
    DuraLabel Toro

    DuraLabel Toro
    Portable, stand-alone

    TORO SUPPLIES
    DuraLabel Bronco

    DuraLabel Bronco
    Industrial, efficient

    BRONCO SUPPLIES
    DuraLabel Lobo

    DuraLabel Lobo
    Grab n' go labeler

    LOBO SUPPLIES
    DuraLabel Pro Series

    DuraLabel PRO 300
    Simple and reliable

    PRO 300 SUPPLIES

    LABELING SOFTWARE PRINTER ACCESSORIES PRINTER SUPPORT SHOP ALL PRINTERS
    SHOP BY APPLICATION
    Arc Flash GHS & HazCom Laboratory Pipe Labeling Wire Marking See All
    SUPPLY TYPE
    General Purpose High Visibility Low/High Temperatures Repositionable Tamper Resistant See All
    SHOP BY PRINTER
    Kodiak Supplies Toro Supplies Bronco Supplies Lobo Supplies DLP 300 Supplies See All

    RIBBONS PRINTER & SUPPLY BUNDLES SHOP ALL SUPPLIES
    FLOOR TAPES
    5S Aisle Glow in the Dark Reflective Anti-Slip See All
    FLOOR SIGNS
    BUNDLES
    SHAPES
    ACCESSORIES
    Applicators Stair Safety Floor Laminate
    anti-slip-floor-tape

    SHOP ALL FLOOR TAPES
    STANDARD PIPE MARKERS
    Fire Quenching Flammable / Oxidizing Toxic or Corrosive Compressed Air Various Water See All
    AMMONIA
    Pipe Markers Component Markers See All
    SHOP BY STANDARD
    ANSI IIAR Pre-2007 ANSI
    flammable-pipe-markers

    ARROWS/BANDING TAPE ACCESSORIES VALVE TAGS SHOP ALL PIPE MARKERS
    SHOP BY SUBJECT
    Admittance Chemical Electrical Emergency PPE See All
    SHOP BY HEADER
    Caution Danger Notice Safety Warning See All

    SHOP ALL SAFETY SIGNS
    SHOP BY SUBJECT
    Admittance Chemical Electrical Emergency PPE See All
    SHOP BY HEADER
    Caution Danger Notice Safety Warning See All

    SHOP ALL SAFETY LABELS
  • My Account
  • Cart()
Monday-Friday 5:30am-4:00pm PT 1-888-326-9244
Graphic Products
Menu Sign In
Products
Printers
Shop All Printers
Industrial Printers
Shop All Industrial Printers DuraLabel Toro DuraLabel Kodiak DuraLabel Bronco DuraLabel Lobo DuraLabel Pro 300
Bundles & Starter Kits
Shop All Bundles & Starter Kits
Labeling Software
DuraSuite Labeling Software LabelForge Labeling Software
Printer Supply
Shop All Printer Supply
Shop by Application
Shop All by Application Arc Flash GHS & Hazcom Laboratory Pipe Labeling Wire Marking
Shop by Supply Type
Shop All by Supply Type General Purpose High Visibility Low/High Temperature Repositionable Tamper Resistant
Shop by Printer
Shop All by Printer DuraLabel Kodiak DuraLabel Toro DuraLabel Bronco DuraLabel Lobo DuraLabel Pro 300
Other
Shop All Other Ribbons Printer & Supply Bundle
Floor Marking
Shop All Floor Marking
Floor Tape
Shop All Floor Tape 5S Aisle Glow in the Dark Reflective Anti-Slip
Floor Signs
Shop All Floor Signs
Accessories
Shop All Accessories Stair Safety Floor Laminate
Other
Shop All Other Bundles Shapes
Safety Signs
Shop All Safety Signs
Shop by Subject
Shop All by Subject Admittance Chemical Electrical Emergency PPE
Shop by Header
Shop All by Header Caution Danger Notice Safety Warning
Safety Labels
Shop All Safety Labels
Shop by Subject
Shop All by Subject Admittance Chemical Electrical Emergency PPE
Shop by Header
Shop All by Header Caution Danger Notice Safety Warning
Pipe Markers & Tags
Shop All Pipe Markers & Tags
Standard Pipe Markers
Shop All Standard Pipe Markers Fire Quenching Flammable/Oxidizing Toxic or Corrosive Compressed Air Various Water
Ammonia
Shop All Ammonia Pipe Markers Component Markers
Shop by Standard
Shop All by Standard ANSI IIAR Pre-2007 ANSI
Other
Shop All Other Arrows/Banding Tape Accessories Valve Tags
Resources
Support
Free Samples
Contact Us
Cart
Sign In
  • Home
  • Safety Blog
  • Minor Machine Injuries Are Indicative of Larger Safety Issues

Minor Machine Injuries Are Indicative of Larger Safety Issues

BY GRAPHIC PRODUCTS STAFF

Published April 07, 2015

Furniture giants Ashley Furniture Industries has been at the helm of machine safety conversations since OSHA fined the company $1.76M in February.

Furniture giants Ashley Furniture Industries has been at the helm of machine safety conversations since OSHA fined the company $1.76M in February.

More than 1,000 worker injuries – including multiple finger amputations – occurred at the Wisconsin site over the past 36 months. Allegations included not training workers on safety procedures and hazards present when servicing machinery, and not equipping some of its machines with readily accessible emergency stop buttons.

Ashley disputed the allegations, claiming the company trains its employees to follow applicable lockout/tagout (LO/TO) procedures and safeguards for “minor" equipment servicing. The company responded to allegations publically stating, “Ashley strongly disagrees with each and every opinion of the agency,” and has since contested the citations – specifically when OSHA's LO/TO standard apply.

The case will now go to an independent review board, which could take up to a year to resolve, said Scott Allen, U.S. Department of Labor regional director for public affairs and media relations.

While the Ashley scandal made headlines, the citations only skim the surface of broader issues. LO/TO was one of the most violated OSHA standards, resulting in 3,117 OSHA violations in 2014. Although OSHA hasn’t recorded any deaths at Ashley facilities, these minor injuries – the pinches, cuts, and lacerations – could just have easily lead to major amputations and even fatalities.

A total of 717 fatal work injuries occurred as a result of contact with objects and equipment in 2013, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics fatalities report. Another 105 workers were fatally injured after being caught in running equipment or machinery.

Lou Flores and his team of LO/TO technical representatives within the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) said minor injuries are always indicative of larger safety issues. When a series of minor machine accidents occur, safety managers should re-access safety training and hazard recognition.

Safety Training

Washington State DOSH technicians said the most common question regarding LO/TO is who needs to be trained, and at what level. LO/TO professionals are categorized at three levels: authorized, affected, and others.

  1. Authorized Personnel: Individuals performing the actual LO/TO as defined in federal and state codes. Before the machine or equipment is turned off, the authorized employee must be knowledgeable of the following: recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources; details about the type and magnitude of the hazardous energy sources present; and the methods and means necessary to isolate and control hazardous energy sources.
  2. Affected Personnel: Individuals who use the equipment in question on a regular basis. If a machine malfunction, routine maintenance, or cleaning project occurs, the affected personal must contact authorized personnel to LO/TO the device.
  3. Other Personnel: Managers, janitors, custodians – anyone who could be in the area where the LO/TO is performed. To prevent other personnel from being affected, companies can use blockade measures when a LO/TO occurs to prevent injury. 

All employees are required to recognize when energy control procedures are being used, understand the purpose of the procedure, and understand the critical importance of not attempting to start up or use equipment that has been locked/tagged out.

All affected employees must be trained on LO/TO procedures before work is performed, and businesses are encouraged to provide annual LO/TO employee training.

Hazard Recognition

Hazard recognition is an ongoing safety tool, but according to DOSH officials, most companies recognize hazards only after an injury has occurred. Leading indicator safety programs help companies address on-site issues to prevent the escalation of injuries.

Leading indicators measure the possibility of something unsafe occurring by combing data from audits, evaluations, specialty software, and worker’s reports. Programs vary by facility, but effective leading indicators commonly incorporate:

  1. Audits & Assessments: Designated safety professionals tour the facility and gather data on a daily basis. Professionals provide observations and may conduct employee interviews.
  2. Perceptions Surveys: Employees offer detailed feedback regarding the company’s overall safety culture.
  3. Near-Miss Reporting: Employees document near misses as a means to address problem areas and weaknesses – be that machines or lack of training – throughout the facility.

While the safety program can be a huge undertaking, and is more commonly used in larger organizations likes the U.S. Army and Amazon, leading indicators give employers a larger picture of the overall safety operations in their facility.

While safety training and hazard recognition programs can improve the overall safety culture of a facility, new recordkeeping updates may also help shed light on minor machine injuries and thereby prevent amputations and even fatalities.

Before 2015, companies like Ashley weren’t required to report minor injuries. Now all employers must report all work-related inpatient hospitalizations, all amputations, and all losses of an eye within 24 hours. Industry professionals like those at Washington State DOSH anticipate the record keeping updates will garner more OSHA inspections – not necessarily citations – into the coming year.

Related Resources

Lockout Tagout (LO/TO)

Lockout/Tagout Guide

Learn OSHA's requirements for lockout/tagout, and get a step-by-step approach to comply with those rules

Download
Lockout Tagout Procedure

LOTO Procedure

Learn the best practices for the Lock Out Tag Out procedure

Watch
Importance of Lockout Tagout Training

Lockout/Tagout Training

Prevent serious injury and understand OSHA lockout/tagout (LO/TO) standards for training.

Read
Get the latest deals straight to your inbox
Trusted by These Companies
Starbucks
GM
Du Pont
Amazon
Disney
3M
Pepsi
NASA
Chevron
AT&T
Toyota
Coca-Cola
UPS
Target
  • Graphic Products, Inc.
    9825 SW Sunshine Ct
    Beaverton, OR
    97005 USA

  • 1-888-326-9244 (U.S./Canada)
  • +1-503-644-5572 (International)
  • Products
  • Printers
  • Printer Supplies
  • Safety Signs
  • Safety Labels
  • Floor Marking
  • Pipe Markers & Tags
  • Catalog
  • Support
  • Check Order Status
  • Shipping & Returns
  • Manage Account
  • Printer Support
  • Warranties
  • Resources
  • Resource Center
  • Guides
  • Articles
  • Video Library
  • Safety Blog
  • Infographics
  • Webinars
  • Company
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Become a Dealer
  • Find a Dealer
  • Press Room

Need Help?

Give us a call at 1-888-326-9244 and speak with an expert.

Customer Reviews
  • Copyright © 2019
  • All Rights Reserved
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Shipping and Returns
  • Privacy Policy