OSHA proposed $498,464 in penalties and placed United Hospital Supply Corp. in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program after a new employee lost three fingers on his first day of work when supervisors and employees deliberately bypassed a press brake's light curtain — a repeat of violations OSHA had cited at the same facility in 2010 and 2015.

United Hospital Supply Corp. — Three-Finger Amputation / OSHA Severe Violator (2022–2023)

Outcome: OSHA proposed $498,464 in penalties and placed United Hospital Supply Corp. in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program after a new employee lost three fingers on his first day of work operating a press brake whose light curtain had been deliberately bypassed by supervisors and employees — a violation type OSHA had previously cited at the same Burlington, New Jersey facility in both 2010 and 2015.

United Hospital Supply Corp. is a Burlington, New Jersey manufacturer that produces metal products for hospitals, laboratories, and schools. In November 2022, a new employee reported for his first day of work at the facility and was assigned to operate a press brake — a powerful metal-bending machine that uses a punch and die to deform sheet metal. The press brake was equipped with a light curtain, a safety device designed to detect when a person reaches into the machine's danger zone and stop the ram before injury occurs. However, supervisors and employees at the facility had deliberately bypassed the light curtain, disabling the safety system to allow faster production. On his first day, the new employee lost three fingers to the press brake.

OSHA investigated and found the bypass was intentional and known to management. The agency cited United Hospital Supply Corp. for three willful violations — for the light curtain bypass, for deploying an inoperable forklift without repair, and for failing to provide hazard communication training for chemicals used in the facility — along with 17 serious violations and one other-than-serious violation. Total proposed penalties were $498,464.

Critically, OSHA's investigation found that substantially similar press brake guarding violations had been cited at the same United Hospital Supply facility in 2010 and in 2015. The company had been on notice for over a decade that its press brake operations were non-compliant, yet the light curtain bypass continued. As a result of the intentional disregard demonstrated by the willful violations and the 13-year pattern, OSHA placed United Hospital Supply Corp. in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program, subjecting it to enhanced follow-up inspections.

Primary Source: US Department of Labor places New Jersey manufacturer in Severe Violator Enforcement Program after worker suffers serious, preventable amputation