Hostess Brands has been fined for $298,010 after a 29-year-old worker lost a fingertip while working at a company factory in Chicago, the U.S. Department of Labor announced.
The employee's fingertip was "amputated" while he was reassembling a pump in December 2022, officials said.
In its investigation into the injury, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) investigators found that Hostess could have prevented the injury if the equipment had been properly shut down, which would have kept it from unexpectedly starting during maintenance. Officials said Hostess did not train workers on proper lockout or tagout procedures.
OSHA investigators also found several other pieces of equipment — including a dough mixer, cooler, icing and wrapping stations, and box stoppers — lacked guards meant to keep workers safe from pinch points and moving parts. Those guards are required by law, officials wrote.
Hostess has not yet responded to WBBM Newsradio’s request for comment.
The Kansas-based company is one of the nation’s leading snack food producers, and it’s perhaps most well-known for Twinkies, HoHos and Ding Dongs. Hostess has publicly reported annual sales of $1.4 billion and employs nearly 3,000 workers in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Ontario, Canada.
Following its investigation into the Chicago worker’s injury, OSHA cited Hostess for “one willful violation, one repeat violation and five serious violations.”
“OSHA frequently finds that amputations and other injuries occur when manufacturers fail to make sure machine safety procedures are followed and employees are trained properly,” said Chicago North OSHA Area Director Sukhvir Kaur in Arlington Heights.
Kaur added that employers can “spare their employees these kinds of painful injuries by complying with OSHA and industry-recognized safety standards.”
OSHA officials wrote in a press release that Hostess has been inspected 12 times at locations in Georgia, Illinois and Kansas. In those cases, inspectors cited the company for failing to protect its employees safety and health. Some of the same hazards were identified in Chicago.
From the time it received the fines, Hostess has 15 business days to comply, request an informal meeting with OSHA’s area director or challenge the findings before an independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Related
Related
Listen to our new podcast Looped In: Chicago
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!