Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney Blog

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration has cited GSI Group, LLC for a fatal work accident in Newton, Illinois.

A Chicago workers' compensation lawyer and wrongful death attorney should be consulted when a loved one is tragically killed on the job. In some cases, a wrongful death claim may be filed seeking damages from an entity other than the employer. This may include a subcontractor, a property owner, or the manufacturer of the machine or equipment involved in the fatal accident.

GSI Group LLC, of Assumption, Illinois, was cited after a worker was killed June 7 while operating a laser cutting machine at the company's Newton facility. The company, which makes grain dryer equipment, has been issued one willful and two serious safety violations for failing to have machine guarding in place.

"GSI could have avoided this tragedy had it been following the required OSHA safety standard," said OSHA Area Director Thomas Bielema in Peoria, Ill. "A worker should never lose his or her life because an employer fails to follow safety regulations. OSHA is committed to protecting employees in the workplace."

The worker was struck within the "point of operation" zone of the machine and OSHA's investigation found that the proper safety guards were not in place. A willful violation means one that is committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

The GSI Group also received two serious violations for not using lockout/tagout procedures and for failing to properly close an electrical box opening.

The Newton facility has 215 employees. GSI has factories in Assumption, Newton, Paris and Flora, Illinois. The company has been inspected 17 times since 1976 and has previously been cited for electrical hazards, machine guarding hazards and lockout violations.