Michelle Highsmith
Jennifer Atkins-Gordeeva
English Comp II-66W
1 December 2021
Polished Research
Injuries in Manufacturing Industry and Companies should be held Responsible
Manufacturing Companies should be held responsible for accidents, injuries, and illness that occur in their plants. I strongly feel that a company has a duty to protect their employees' safety. When an employee is injured or becomes ill due to a safety violation the Manufacturing Company should pay and be held accountable for shortcomings. I have personally experienced a safety injury, and my finger was partially amputated. It was due to the fact that the machine that I operated on was not up to part before I was placed on the equipment. May 5, 2020 I was asked to wield parts on a machine that did not have safety guards, and did not have a shut off valve. I was not properly trained on the equipment before being placed on the machine, and I wasn’t given the correct PPE (personal protective equipment).
Yes, I feel that manufacturing industries should be held responsible for injuries. Due to lack of safety equipment, not having the correct PPE (personal protective equipment) which is any safety equipment required to be used to perform designated tasks , nor giving employees proper training and other safety violations including not having proper employees safety guarding on their machines. Which in some cases may cause amputation, illness, and other extreme accidents. Due to lack of safety issues and violations in the manufacturing industries employees have been severely hurt or became ill. In some instances, employees did not get adequate training, because their trainer was not properly trained, or just didn’t have the basic skills and knowledge on the equipment. Before they were asked to train another employee on the machine. In some cases, machines do not have proper guarding or no guarding at all.
Lockout/tagout which is a safety procedure for when working on dangerous equipment to de-energize the equipment at the disconnect with a lock and tag. Prior to working on the equipment, the only people who can restore energy to the system to prevent accidental injuries from unknowing coworkers. Lockout/tagout are important safety issues that some companies just don’t seem to enforce enough. All operators should be trained on lockout/tagout. No employees should be running a machine without this basic knowledge. Chemical and electric training should always be given to all operators within the industry. Operators should be aware of the SOP and all PPE standards and where it is located. There should be a safety committee on each shift who are trained and knowledgeable of Safety protocols. If an employee feels that their safety is in jeopardy. The employee should refuse to operate the machine. If any Safety violation has been committed OSHA needs to be contacted.
Maul and Wallace states,” OSHA has been doing ongoing health regulations for over 30 years. Companies have been failing to report injuries, illness, and faulty equipment. Companies have large numbers of amputations, due to faulty equipment and not having the correct PPE (Safety Equipment) in place” (Maul, Gary P; Wallace, Darrell). Maul and Wallace states,”The largest number of amputations recorded over a 9 year period was among machine operators” (Maul, Gary P; Wallace, Darrell).
Yes, I can believe this, due to the fact that after my accident we had 3 more accidents basically of the same nature. My accident was a hand accident. Our company had 2 more smashed fingers incidents where people nearly had to get amputated. All the injured employees did not have adequate training or did not have the proper PPE.
Maul and Wallace states, “ The first step in this study is the identification of root causes of injuries incidents. In preliminary investigations of OSHA documented injuries, the root causes of most machinery related injuries appear to be one of the following:
* Failure to identify a hazard and not guard against it. *Improper design of a guard or safeguarding method.*Failure of employees to follow appropriate procedures.* Functional failure of a properly designed safeguard. *Deliberate disabling of a safeguard. Failure to identify a hazard is hard to comprehend in light of all of the attention focused on safety. There appears to be a lack of understanding of what makes something a hazard and a general lack of awareness of the inherent dangers of that hazard. History has shown that if a hazard exists an injury will eventually occur” (Maul, Gary P; Wallace, Darrell). This proves my argument that employers should make sure all employees are trained and equipped before operating any machines. If I had been properly trained, given the proper PPE, and had a machine with proper safety guards and shut off valve on it. I would not have had to go through an amputation, but due to the fact that the machine did not have any safety guarding and no shut off valve my hand was caught in the machine. I had to wait until it went through the cycle time before it opened up to release my hand. The machine was set at 450 degrees so it cauterized my finger.
The author Johnathan Karmel explains, “There are three basic danger zones that require safeguarding in some fashion, because of dangerous moving parts in all machines. The point of operation is where the work is performed on the material. It can involve cutting, sawing, shaping, boring or forming. Different mechanical motions and actions present hazards to a worker for gears, belts, saws, shearing, punch presses, and cutting teeth, among many more. Basically, any moving part is a hazard. To prevent an injury or death, safety rule number one is to prevent contact between the worker and the wrong machine. It is easier said than done, since workers have to be in close contact to operate and maintain their machines. Guards are the preferred method of protection” ( Karmel 129). Safety guards on machines are so important. Safety guards help protect the employee and also the employer. As a trainer I take every new employee on a tour and point out the safety guard, and how important it is not to go around safety guards, or up under a safety guard that has been placed in a work area.
Jonathan Karmel states, “Even if appropriate guards are in place, maintenance and training are other critical components to a safe workplace. If a machine is not properly maintained, it can become a danger when, for example, electrical wiring and systems are frayed and exposed creating a hazard for electrocution. Workers must be trained in lock-out/ tag-out procedures, to prevent the sudden energizing of a machine during maintenance. Preventable manufacturing injuries and fatalities occur everyday” (Karmel 131). It is very important that each employee feels safe and secure in their work environment. No employee should have to come to work and worry about whether they may not go home in one piece. There should be trust in the company and it should not be broken due to unsafe environments.
Another big issue in the manufacturing companies is the issue with the turnover rate. Companies lose a lot of money due to the fact they can not keep workers. Foster Rinefort states, “The Bureau of Labor Statistics (1982) found that workers were approximately three times more likely to be hurt during their first month of employment than during their ninth month of employment and that workers under 25 years of age were 10 to 20 times more likely to sustain a work injury. This dearth of research suggested the need for a study investigating the relationship between these two variables -work injuries and turnover”(Rinefort). At the company I work at, the turnover rate is ridiculous. The fact that an employee does not feel safe in their work environment can cause the turnover rate to have a huge impact in the manufacturing companies. Employees should never be put in an unsafe work environment, and feel like they do not have the right to voice their opinion. This was the case with me with my accident. The machine was having problems from the start. I had to call a molesetter to come and fix the machine, because it kept getting hung up. Which meant the machine wouldn't open up. I did not feel prepared nor comfortable operating the machine, but I was scared to state that to the supervisor. I did not feel like I had a right to voice my opinion, and that is the case so many times with new employees. So, they make a decision to leave instead of causing confusion in their mindset.
Blake states, “The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says employers must identify workplace hazards and use engineering and administrative controls to remove the hazards where possible. When those hazards cannot be eliminated, employees need Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The OSHA standard addresses head, eye and face, hand, hearing and foot protection. The protection offered by the PPE is the last line of defense against an injury. It becomes the front-line supervisors' responsibility to make sure the employees are using/wearing it. If an OSHA inspector visits, the employer can be fined for PPE violations. OSHA is now able to multiply any fines related to PPE violations by the number of your employees, rather than issuing one practicewise citation. So, it's important to know and understand your responsibilities as they relate to PPE”(Blake). As a trainer I should have known I didn't have the correct gloves on to be operating a machine with that force of heat, but the truth is at the time we did not even have the correct gloves for the machine that I was operating. I have been a trainer for 3 years, and still was not properly trained for nor had the proper equipment.
Nagele-Piazza states, “Fall Protection is such a big category because a lot of fatalities are due to falls—particularly in construction but also in general industry, '' said Ed Foulke, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Atlanta and the former head of OSHA under George W. Bush. Employers are required to notify OSHA within eight hours of a fatality, which prompts a workplace inspection”(Nagele-Piazza). Another indication of how important it is to protect the employees from trips and falls. Here is some research done by the author on falls and lockout/tagout with high the impact of safety violations.
Any of these violations in the manufacturing companies needs to be reported to OSHA. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was established to ensure the safety of employees, so if any employee feels that they are in an unsafe work environment, the employee has gone through the proper channels. OSHA should be notified immediately there's a toll free number. You don't have to worry about losing your job, because as an employee the company has a duty to ensure safety to each and everyone of their employees. If the manufacturing companies will not ensure your safety then they should be held accountable for their lack of duty to their employees safety. Here's the information for OHSA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) 1 (800) 321-6742. They can help answer any questions you have regarding safety and procedures, and the line is open 24 hours and 7 days a week.
Manufacturing Companies should be held responsible for injuries due to safety violations in their plants. This would make companies think first about their employees' . Instead of getting just a slap on the hand. Not just a simple fine by OSHA, but if they got fined and had to take sole responsibility for their actions. Manufacturing companies would think twice before they allowed employees to operate faulty machines without proper training and correct PPE. It's important that all employees feel safe in their working environment. It is a duty to keep employees safe companies should have procedures and protocol in place for any safety violations.
Companies should hold their standards high in regards to safety. Safety should always come first no matter how much production needs to go out. Safety should be top priority, and if they will not ensure the proper protocols and procedures the companies need to be held responsible. Companies should not just be fined, but it should go further. Companies need to realize that employees' lives and health are important, that they are not just a number who can be replaced at will.
Those who are in charge of Safety and the Protocol of the Manufacturing Companies need to do updates and research. Don't just wait until an accident happens and then go and pull every machine that dont have the correct safe guards or the proper equipment. But there should be a maintenance protocol check done weekly to ensure that every machine is running properly and has the correct safety equipment. Regarding railing, guards, lockout/tagout, and proper training for those who are operating the equipment.
These are simple steps that should be followed to ensure that the employee is protected along with the employer, so if they don’t take care of their employees. Manufacturing Companies should be held accountable for every incident, accident, and health violation that occurs in their plants due to lack of responsibility to their employees. Manufacturing Companies have a duty to keep every employee safe.
Therefore, I strongly feel that manufacturing companies should be held responsible for injuries or illness that occur in their plants. An employee shouldn’t have to worry about their safety when they come to work. When it’s a duty for the employer to keep their machines and equipment safe. No employee should have to ponder over the fact that they may lose a limb or not be able to go home to their families. Due to upkeep equipment and safety violations, I would like to say from my experience, which was horrible. I had my accident on May 5, 2020 around 2am. It was not 24 hours and I was contacted by the plant manager to come in to explain to the Safety Manager what occurred. When I got there I was told that I would have to remain at work and sort parts in a different department. Granted I had a cast on one arm and had gotten a tetanus shot in the other. So, how would I be able to do that? Long story short: I had the hospital send a doctor note so I could leave. I had just had an accident in their company, and they were worried about parts when a week later I lost my partial finger.
This is a typical manufacturing company and how they think. Employees are just the little people who can be replaced, this is where they are wrong. If companies do not take care of their employees, how do they expect to stay in business? No little people, no product, it is just as simple as that. Yes, I feel like manufacturer companies should be held responsible for their neglect. If they start to have to pay for every accident and violation. Instead of getting little fines they would be more responsible. Shut the company down for a month or two, hit them where it hurts. Then maybe they will get a sense of responsibility. I just feel like paying someone's doctor bill and giving them a little money is not enough. Losing a limb or a life can never be replaced.
Manufacturing Companies should be held responsible for injuries and illness.
Work Cited
Blake, Marilyn A. “Personal Protection Equipment: The Last Line of Defense.” Rural Telecommunications; Washington Vol. 33 Iss 4, (Jul/Aug): 36, 38.
Karmel, Johnathan D. Dying to Work: Death and Injury in the American Workplace. Cornell University Press, 12-15-2017.
Nagele-Piazza, Lisa. “Top 10 OSHA Violations for 2017: Fall protection, hazard communication, and scaffolding violations top the list again.” HRNews,Oct 16, 2017.
Maul, Gary P and Wallace, Darrell. “Manufacturing Injuries and the Need for Improvement”. IIE Annual Conference. Proceedings; Norcross (2006) 1-9.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration Home | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)
Rinefort, Foster C; Van Fleet, David D. “Work Injuries and employee turnover.” American Business Review, Vol. 16, Iss. 2, Jun 1998, pp 9-13.
