Hellwig Products Co, Inc: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Dec 9, 2021: Employee is injured when struck in chest by flying object

At 11:05 a.m. on December 9, 2021, an employee, a machine operator, was using a 260-ton hot metal press to form the ends of pre-heated metal rods when a 14.5 pound, 8-inch by 4-inch by 2-inch metal die spacer, which had been left in the press, shot out and struck him in the chest. The employee suffered a chest contusion, multiple rib fractures and a spleen laceration.

Incident on Mar 17, 2020: Employee amputates finger while using tube bending machine

At 10:30 a.m. on March 17, 2020, Employee #1 was measuring a tube at the horn tube bending machine that was being operated by a coworker. The coworker was in the process of being trained by Employee #1. Employee #1 placed his hand in the tube bending machine, as a clamp on the machine was activated, causing his left middle finger to be amputated. Employee #1 suffered the amputation of his left middle finger to the second knuckle and was hospitalized overnight. The employer's accident investigation report was grossly inadequate and failed to determine the most basic information related to the accident, such as who was operating the machine and what was Employee #1 doing at the machine. The only focus in the report was on the machine safety guards (foot pedal, console shut off behind the operator and laser curtain at the end of the machine) in which they allege, all guarding devices were working properly. Employee #1 stated in an interview that he was not operating the machine and was just measuring the length of the tube to the bend. This is completely contrary to the information provided by the employer. They allege that the employee (Employee #1) was operating the machine and that the machine operator (the coworker) was only a witness. The coworker (the employee who was actually operating the machine) declined to be interviewed.