Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog

According to The Boston Globe, a cleaning man was hospitalized after he was sucked into a seasoning machine at a sausage-making company in Danvers, Massachusetts. He was reportedly cleaning the vacuum-type machine on Thursday evening when it activated, sucking his head and shoulders into the machine.

A policeman told reporters that the man was freed from the machine and showed no obvious signs of trauma. He was transported to a local hospital as a precaution.

The machinery accident is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Source: Police: Man sucked into sausage seasoning machine, The Boston Globe, May 23, 2010

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Last week, an industrial accident in Franklin, Connecticut trapped a worker inside the cab of a skid steer after a fork lift reportedly crashed into the skid steer. It took firefighters roughly 50 minutes using cutting tools and hydraulic lifts to free the unidentified man. State police say he was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries.

The fork lift accident was reported just after 7pm on Wednesday, March 24. It occurred at a construction site for a cell phone tower near the town's library and fire department.

A state crane inspector and a compliance officer from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the construction accident.

Site: One man injured in construction accident in Franklin, Norwich Bulletin, March 25, 2010

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A Plainville, Massachusetts manufacturer and packager of medical equipment has received two citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following a machinery accident. A worker's finger was pinched by a heat seal bar used to seal plastic bags, and the worker lost the tip of that finger as a result.

When inspectors investigated the plant, they identified three packaging machines that lacked required safeguards to prevent such accidents, exposing workers to amputation and laceration injuries. As a result, OSHA has issued one willful citation for the lack of machine guarding. That citation has a proposed fine of $56,000. In addition, the company received two serious citations for not providing a hazard communication program and training for employees working with hazardous chemicals in the workplace. Those citations carry $2,100 in proposed fines.

The company faces $58,100 in total proposed fines.

Source: OSHA cites Mass. manufacturer after amputation accident, ReliablePlant.com, December 2, 2009

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