Multiple Amputations at Ohio Facility Spark Federal Investigation

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is investigating an Ohio musical instrument manufacturer's facility after several workers sustained injuries serious enough to require amputations while working there.

The DOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the East Lake facility of Conn-Selmer, a subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments, after a sixth employee required an amputation. Newsweek has contacted Conn-Selmer via the contact form on its website for comment.

The worker, who has not been identified, lost the end of a finger while preparing a machine die inside a press used to manufacture sousaphones, a type of large brass instrument. The incident took place in July 2023, according to the DOL. Details surrounding other amputation injuries do not seem to be public knowledge at this time, Newsweek has found.

After reviewing injury logs provided by the company, OSHA found the average injury rate from 2019 to 2021 was 7.8 workers per year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry average is just 2.3.

The company was found to have made three repeat and three serious violations of workplace safety rules for "not using required lockout/tagout procedures, not training workers in such procedures and a lack of machine guarding to protect workers from contact with operating machine parts," the DOL has reported.

As a result of the safety violations, Conn-Selmer could face penalties of up to $273,447. The company has also been placed on the agency's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

"Conn-Selmer must address their higher-than-average injury rate and protect their workers from machine hazards by properly guarding all machinery, training workers and using lockout/tagout procedures, as required by law," OSHA Area Director Howard Eberts said.

"During previous OSHA investigations Conn-Selmer has added machine guarding and conducted additional employee training, but workers are still getting injured. The company must do a better job and make a complete and thorough review of all their machine processes to ensure worker safety," Eberts said.

In October 2023, an investigation by local news station Cleveland 19 found the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) had hit the company with seven violations earlier in the year. According to the report, investigators found unlabeled containers of hazardous waste and that three employees had not received adequate hazmat training.

Reporters also found that the company did not have contingency plans in place for first responders in case of an emergency. OEPA said the violations had been rectified by Conn-Selmer, according to Cleveland 19.

In February 2019, OSHA cited Conn-Selmer for "exposing workers to copper dust and machine hazards." The company was given a penalty of $200,230 for two repeated and seven serious health and safety violations.