Ambulance Maker Fined $13,000 After Worker’s Fingertip Amputation
- The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries on Sept. 19 fined Braun Northwest, a Chehalis, Washington-based ambulance manufacturer $13,000 for failing to protect employees using a heavy-duty Accurshear cutting machine from a shear point hazard. An employee had two fingertips amputated in June when his hands slipped under an inadequate guard, according to records obtained by The Washington Post.
- Regulators said the hazard existed for at least 11 years and was corrected during the inspection, which began after a tip. The inspection summary said employees were putting their hands under the guard even though they met monthly on safety rules, and that the safety manager responsible for daily walk-throughs failed to notice the unguarded part of the machine.
- The amputation is cited as a repeat violation because of earlier violations tied to a 17-year-old apprentice’s finger fracture, which led to a child labor violation for allowing a minor to operate a drill press without a barrier guard.
- Records from the Washington Occupational Safety and Health Administration show the company reported at least 27 work-related injuries and illnesses from 2023 to 2025, though most did not draw citations. The state said it enforces workplace safety without regard to political considerations.
- The owner of the company, Republican House candidate John Braun, said his company will appeal the fine.
Agency Finds 205 Safety Violations, Injury Coverups at Coupang
- South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor said it found 205 violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act across 105 Coupang logistics centers and delivery camps. Sixty-one will face criminal enforcement action, and the other 144 have been levied about 1.96 billion won ($1.48 million) in administrative fines.
- Inspectors identified two cases of suspected workplace accident concealment and opened criminal investigations. In one, a worker was allegedly induced to withdraw a workers’ compensation medical benefits application after receiving a cash payment. In another, a worker withdrew a similar application after meeting with management, and the required accident report was not submitted, according to the ministry.
- Inspectors also found 25 cases of missing or late accident reports, expected to draw about 170 million won in fines. Other violations included missing conveyor safeguards, inadequate measures to prevent forklift strikes, missing special health exams for night workers and deficiencies in rest facilities.
- In the 2020 death of a worker surnamed Jang, investigators found the then-CEO allegedly told employees to “make sure there is no record that he worked hard.” The ministry will refer the case to prosecutors with a recommendation against indictment because the statute of limitations has expired.
Roofing Company Fined $49,000 After Worker Dies from Skylight Fall
- The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has issued a penalty of nearly $49,000 against Leslie & Campbell Inc., a Wapato, Washington, roofing company, after a worker fell through a skylight and died. The company is disputing the citation.
- An employee was nearly 26 feet off the ground when he fell April 21 and landed on the concrete floor below. Regulators said the skylights had been unguarded for eight days.
- Washington’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited the company for three violations, one serious and two willful serious. Investigators found the skylight was not guarded to prevent falls and the company had not identified the skylights as a fall hazard or adequately trained workers on the danger.