CINCINNATI, OHIO — Food processor Zwanenberg Food Group USA Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, faces $1.9 million in penalties after a 29-year-old temporary sanitation worker was injured on an overnight shift, announced the US Department of Labor.

On Oct. 12, 2022, after nine months on the job, the worker fell into an industrial blender while cleaning and became caught in the rotating paddle augers. The worker’s leg was amputated due to the severity of the injuries.

The DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the incident and determined Zwanenberg did not provide proper training for workers on how to lockout equipment so that they are not exposed to moving machinery.

“This young man suffered a preventable debilitating injury because his employer failed to train him and the majority of its third-shift sanitation workers adequately to lockout equipment to ensure their own safety,” said Bill Donovan, OSHA regional administrator, Chicago. “This tragedy is compounded by the fact that OSHA cited Zwanenberg for similar violations two weeks prior, and they continued to ignore their responsibility to protect workers in their plant.”

OSHA proposed $1.9 million in penalties, citing 11 willful, four serious, one repeat and one other-than-serious violations. The processor has 15 business days to comply, request a conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings.

Zwanenberg also received a citation in Sept. 2022 for violations of machine safety procedures and other hazards. The company contested the most recent violations.