The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s inquiry into an incident at Tufco LP, where an employee lost a fingertip in August of 2023, revealed the company breached federal safety standards for managing hazardous energy when performing maintenance.
Additionally, Tufco failed to report the amputation as mandated.
The investigation uncovered that the employee was injured while clearing a jam in a pump during an overnight shift.
Despite the previous incidents in 2019 and 2021, Tufco had not implemented proper logout/tagout processes to prevent machinery contact, nor had they provided adequate retraining for employees moving to new work areas.
There was also a lack of machine guards and a comprehensive respiratory protection program.
Facing citations for repeated and serious offenses, Tufco LP is subject to $194,518 in fines and must address the citation within 15 business days, with the option to request a meeting with OSHA or contest the charges.
