OMAHA, NEB. ‒ The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) concluded an investigation that identified more than a dozen violations at a Nebraska Beef Ltd., plant that could result in almost $275,000 in fines.

According to the report on the June 2023 incident, OSHA stated that a worker helping a forklift operator position materials had their fingertip caught in the forklift attachment. The injury resulted in an amputation three weeks later.

Later in the investigation, DOL found that the company failed to develop and employ lockout/tagout procedures for hydraulic dock plates and enclosures. Additionally, OSHA said that Nebraska Beef lacked safety procedures for material handling and exposed workers to live electrical parts.

As a result, the agency cited Nebraska Beef for two willful and 11 serious violations, which resulted in $274,569 in proposed penalties.

“The company must reassess its safety training and procedures immediately to keep other employees from suffering needless injuries,” said Matthew Thurlby, OSHA area director based in Omaha, Neb. “We continue to work with the industry and meat processing facilities to improve employee safety and we encourage employers to reach out to us for assistance in developing effective safety plans.”

Other specifics that OSHA found in its investigation include: 

· Failure to isolate energy during service and maintenance of dock levelers

· Unsafe working surfaces

· Fall hazards on platforms and ladders

· No readily available eye wash and drenching facility

· Electrical hazards

· Lack of kits to handle chemical spills

· Improperly trained forklift operators

· Unsafe battery maintenance 

Nebraska Beef has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.