Since 2008, OSHA inspectors have visited Luvata Appleton LLC in Wisconsin 10 times.
The most recent inspection opened on Nov 8, 2022 on a referral, in Kimberly.
In all, OSHA issued 17 citation items: 11 serious and 6 other-than-serious.
The proposed penalties came to $50,409; today they stand at $32,502, 36% less.
The rule cited most here is 1910.147 (lockout/tagout), 5 times.
Among manufacturing employers, the typical cited inspection since 2015 ends with a $3,600 penalty. Luvata Appleton LLC averages $5,432 across 4 cited inspections.
1 inspection on this page followed a fatal incident.
Luvata Appleton LLC also files yearly injury logs with OSHA, summarized below.
It reported 5 severe injuries to OSHA since 2015.
Citation items per year, by inspection date.
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Incident on Jan 9, 2021: Employee suffers severe burns in copper melt pot explosion
At 9:00 a.m. on January 9, 2021, an employee was using a piece of flat stock steel to move/remove slag inside of a melting pot. The employee had just inserted the slag stick into the pot and approximately one quarter of the slagging stick was submerged below the melt. It is uncertain at this time was caused the volatile reaction, but at some point, the molten copper alloy reacted to a new agent in the pot and exploded. The resulting blast showered the surrounding area with molten copper alloy and sparks. The blast also knocked the employee backward and had enough force to remove his helmet and face shield. The helmet and face shield were coated with the molten copper alloy and could be seen as a "fireball" on video. The employee suffered severe burns to the face, hand, arm, legs and chest and was hospitalized. Additionally, the heat of the explosion caused swelling in the employee's esophagus, resulting in the employee requiring a tracheotomy to breath.
Incident on Apr 23, 2008 (fatal): Employee suffers electrocution from welder and copper wire
At Approximately 3:00 a.m. on April 23, 2008, Employee #1 was moving a 480 volt, single phase, Microweld Model J4C welder. The employer, Luvata Appleton LLC SIC 3351, manufactures copper wire products. Employee #1 was moving the welder into the spool area of a wire drawing machine. The welder was used to splice the end of the emptied spool of copper cable to the end of the new spool. The splicing was normally done by a coworker. The concrete floor in front of the gate had som e steel plating attached over the concrete in the gate opening. The welder was p lugged into a 480-volt outlet. When Employee #1 grabbed the metal gate with one hand while holding the welder handle in the other hand, he was electrocuted. Ele ctrical testing of the welder unit indicated the electrical motor, transformers and other electrical components were properly grounded. A visual inspection of t he power cord did not reveal any cuts or other types of damage to the outer insu lation that damaged any of the conductors' insulation. Further tests of the powe r cord indicated the grounding conductor was not continuous and that the groundi ng conductor was in contact with the 2 live conductors. It is believed that the hidden damage in the power cord energized the frame of the welder. A coworker at a nearby work station did not see the accident, but was able to separate Employ ee #1 from the welder and started CPR. The extent of Employee #1's injuries were not specified in the original report.
From the Form 300A summaries employers file with OSHA each year. Rate = recordable cases per 100 full-time workers.
In 2023, the Kimberly site logged 9 recordable injuries or illnesses among about 100 workers: 8.8 per 100 full-time workers, against a median of 2.9 for its industry. Those cases cost 43 days away from work.
Site and year
Workers
Cases
Days-away cases
Rate
Industry median
Luvata Appleton Carter Ct.
Kimberly · 2023
100
9
4
8.8
2.9
Luvata Appleton Lawe St.
Appleton · 2023
62
6
3
9.1
2.9
Luvata Appleton Kennedy Ave.
Kimberly · 2023
28
1
0
4.1
2.9
Severe injury reports
Employers must report any work-related amputation, in-patient hospitalization or loss of an eye to OSHA within 24 hours. 5 reports on file.
An employee was stringing and setting up a wire drawing machine when his glove was caught between a wire and a block, resulting in an amputation to his left middle finger, just above the first knuckle.
Mar 12, 2022, Kimberly: Hospitalization · heat (thermal) burns, unspecified · multiple body parts, n.e.c.
An employee was loading a charge furnace with a 3-foot by 3-foot copper cathode sheet weighing 300 pounds, using a crane. The overload alarm activated. As the employee tried to remove the cathode charge from the furnace with the crane, it struck the employee, who suffered burns to the lower back, left side, left arm, and left hand.
Jan 9, 2021, Appleton: Hospitalization · third or fourth degree heat (thermal) burns · multiple body parts, n.e.c.
An employee was scraping slag off an alloy melting furnace pot when residual liquid nitrogen mixed with molten metal still in the furnace. The instantaneous mixing caused an explosion, which knocked the employee to the ground. His protective helmet and face shield were knocked off and he suffered second- and third-degree burns to the neck and left arm.
An employee was helping a millwright install the bottom block of the wire-pulling device on a wire-drawing machine. The employee was holding onto the 400-600 pound block, trying to straighten it so it would continue traveling down its shaft. The block unjammed and traveled 4-5 inches, injuring the employee's left middle finger in the nail area. The injury resulted in an amputation above the first knuckle.
Aug 23, 2016, Kimberly: Amputation · amputations · fingertip(s)
An employee was changing spools on a wire drawing machine when his right thumb was caught between the lift structure and a spacer block, amputating the thumb tip (no bone loss).
The rules behind these citations
Current text from the Code of Federal Regulations. Some citations were issued under older wording.
(ii) The procedures shall clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, the following:
29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i)
(6) Periodic inspection. (i) The employer shall conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of this standard are being followed.
29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(a)
(A) Each authorized employee shall receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement data. A citation is OSHA's allegation; employers can contest it, and the status column shows where each item stands. Something wrong on this page? Tell us.
