OSHA fines Texas furniture maker $257K over serious injury

Federal workplace safety investigators have determined that a Temple, Texas, furniture manufacturer could have prevented an employee’s serious and permanent hand and arm injuries by installing required machine guards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Monday.

As a result of its investigation, OSHA fined Artco-Bell Corp. $257,183 in proposed penalties following the incident in which a worker’s arm was caught in a machine while using a garden hose to clean it.

In addition to failing to ensure the use of machine guards, OSHA inspectors found the company exposed workers to respirable crystalline silica hazards. The agency issued citations for 24 serious safety and health violations.