An El Paso TX Lowe’s Worker Suffers an Amputation Injury-Pt.2
After a December 2021 amputation injury occurred at Lowe’s Market on George Dieter Blvd. in El Paso, Texas, an inspection was conducted by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Inspectors cited Lowe’s for alleged noncompliance with an OSHA safety standard, and the proposed penalty is $14,502. Lowe’s–like fellow big-box stores Walmart, Amazon, and Home Depot—is not a likely subscriber to the Texas workers’ comp program but has the same obligation as all employers to provide a work environment that conforms to OSHA’s safety standards.
OSHA Cites a Lowe’s in El Paso, Texas, and Issues a Proposed Penalty of $14,502
After part of an employee’s thumb was amputated while using a bone cutting blade, the El Paso Lowe’s Market on George Dieter Blvd. was cited for alleged noncompliance with OSHA standard 19100212 A03 II General requirements for all machines. The penalty imposed totals $14,502. This is a serious violation, which means that the workplace hazard could cause an accident or illness likely to result in a workplace death or serious physical harm. However, it is not considered a serious violation if the employer did not know or could not have known of the violation.
This OSHA safety standard pertains to point of operation guarding. A guard must be added to point of operation machines when its operation exposes employees to potential injury. The rule or standard provides specifics about the guarding device. For instance, guarding devices must be designed and constructed in such a way as to protect the machine operator from harm by preventing any of his or her body parts from entering the danger zone during the operation of the machine.
Also, see Part 1 of this series.
This website seeks to provide helpful information to injured Texas workers and the families of fatally injured employees when the employer has not subscribed to the Texas workers’ compensation program of insurance. Making accusations against people or entities is never intentional on this site.
–Guest Contributor
smchugh
smchugh