The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a Wisconsin company for eight workplace safety violations after allowing employees to continue using an unguarded hydraulic power press brake after a worker suffered an injury. The government agency found Curt Manufacturing LLC, employees operating the power press brake nearly a month after a worker suffered a severe thumb injury.

Curt Manufacturing, a towing component manufacturer, received $105,000 in fines from OSHA for one willful violation, five serious safety penalties and two other-than serious infractions. Violations included failing to create hazardous energy control procedures and a lack of guarding on a band saw and tube bender.

OSHA area director Mark Hysell said failing to offer proper machine guarding put workers' safety at risk. Employers must make implementing employee injury prevention programs a priority to eliminate workplace injuries.

Safety managers can use web-based health and safety software to make their work environments safer. The online programs offer supervisors an easy-to-use solution to better analyze safety and health hazards and eliminate workplace risk. As a result, they can reduce the costs associated with workplace injuries, and increase productivity.