OSHA has cited Mid-Nebraska Disposal for disregard of federal regulations after an inspection was prompted by the death of a 20-year-old worker who died of severe amputation injuries after falling into a baler machine while attempting to clear a stuck piece of cardboard.
OSHA alleges the company failed to ensure energy sources were locked out, which would have kept the machine’s operating parts from moving while the worker cleared the jam.
The agency was cited for 18 violations – two willful, 15 serious, and one other-than-serious – involving machine safety, permit-required confined space safety requirements, training and fall hazards. OSHA proposed penalties of $337,903, and has placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
