Saukville foundry cited after "catastrophic mechanical failure" that injured 7 workers

A Saukville foundry was issued two serious safety violations Tuesday after an accident that injured seven employees earlier this year.

The workers were injured in what was labeled a \"catastrophic mechanical failure\" at Johnson Brass & Machine Foundry in Ozaukee County on May 19.  

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the violations after an investigation into the incident, with proposed penalties of $13,860.

One citation is for failing to provide a work environment that protects workers from burns and struck-by hazards while operating a casting machine. OSHA documents say the bolts used on a piece of equipment involved in the accident were not torqued to manufacturer specifications on the day of the accident, which led to the die containing molten metal to become disengaged from the turntable.

The second citation is for lack of machine guarding. The OSHA investigation found that the cover for a centrifugal casting machine was not fastened securely in place.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before an independent OSHA commission.

Inspection documents from OSHA also show at least three serious safety violations related to the service and maintenance of machines uncovered at the foundry in 2011, resulting in thousands of dollars in fines.

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