Younger MFG Co.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Mar 1, 2021: Employee suffers burns from arc flash while drilling into bu

At 11:50 a.m. on March 1, 2021, Employee #1, an employee of Younger Mfg. Co., DBA Younger Optics, was working on a JLG scissor lift in the IOTP Department to install a differential air pressure switch on a metal beam near the ceiling. While drilling into the beam with a DeWalt cordless drill, an arc flash occurred because the beam was a bus bar carrying 420V 3-phase electricity. The arc flash ignited Employee #1's clothing and PPE. Employee #1 attempted to extinguish the fire by removing his clothing while on the lift. Coworkers tried to assist but were unable to use a fire extinguisher or lower the lift using external controls due to an activated emergency stop. Employee #1 ultimately lowered the lift and was assisted to the ground. He sustained second- and third-degree burns on 25% of his body and was hospitalized for 44 days at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. The incident caused a power outage across the facility and resulted in serious injuries due to contact with the bus bar and lack of effective safety measures.

Incident on Jul 30, 2002: Employee's hands crushed and burned in forming press

At 7:30 a.m. on July 30, 2002, Employee #1, a technician for Younger Manufacturi ng Company, was operating a Northeast Equipment Design, Inc., optical lens formi ng machine that was situated on a raised table in the company's polycarbonate se ction. The machine was a heat-forming press that pulled plastic from a roll, cut it to size, then performed an initial lens forming step at an operating tempera ture of up to 130 degrees C (266 degrees F). Employee #1 was manually adjusting a misaligned piece of plastic in the forming press when the upper plate descende d on his hands, crushing and burning both of them. His tendons were torn and his right wrist burned to the extent of requiring a skin graft. The machine had not been de-energized or disengaged to prevent movement before Employee #1 attempte d the adjustment. The access door to the forming press had an interlock switch, but the acting process manager of the department had disabled the interlock when the machine was installed in June. The machine's moving parts were guarded behi nd plexiglass.