BELMOND, IA--A North Iowa business is paying a fine resulting from an accident that killed a worker on the job earlier this year.
Doug Barkema, 51 of Belmond died in a mishap involving a grinder during the day's first shift at the Eaton Corporation plant in Belmond on February 17.
Barkema was an experienced machine operator and had been at the Eaton facility for 24 years.
Iowa Division of Labor Services Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators discovered 2 serious violations.
IOSHA found Eaton "did not furnish employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to struck by hazards by flying debris."
In their findings IOSHA noted Eaton "did not ensure equipment was provided and utilized to properly torque the grinding wheel spindle bolts on a grinder. According to the manufacturer, the grinding wheel spindle bolts on the Landis Type C Grinder shall be torqued to 15 foot pounds."
IOSHA found employees were tightening the bolts on the grinding wheel spindle by hand or by using an impact wrench.
Investigators determined there was only one torque wrench available for employees to use in the shop area.
They also noted that employees were not aware of the torque specifications nor did they know a torque wrench was to be used to mount the wheel on the grinder.
"Employees were exposed to potential injury and death by not being adequately trained on mounting of grinding wheels.
That violation resulted in a $4,500 dollar proposed fine from IOSHA.
The second serious Violation involved spindle speeds on the grinder, "speed(s) on grinding machine(s) were not checked before mounting to assure that it did not exceed the maximum operating speed marked on the wheel."
Based on IOSHA's investigation maintenance and repair had been performed on the machine and it affected its spindle speed.
Employees replaced the motor on the Landis Grinder during which a 1,750 RPM motor was replaced with a 3,500 RPM motor, but the spindle speed of the machine was not checked after the work was completed.
"Measurements taken following the accident showed the spindle was turning at approximately 3,455 RPM."
IOSHA determined the maximum operating speed for the grinding wheel being used was 1,820 RPM.
That violation resulted in a $9,000 proposed penalty from IOSHA.
On April 22, Eaton Corporation Belmond Plant Manager Pam Moser signed a settlement agreement with IOSHA. She agreed to correct the violations and pay a total penalty of $13,500.
On the day of the accident Eaton Human Resources Manager Julie Habbouche said "all the employees at the Belmond facility are deeply saddened by this event."
At the time Eaton Corporation employed a little more than 230 people in Belmond.
The manufacturer of valves for the heavy duty engine market has 2 other plants in Iowa in the communities of Shenandoah and Spencer.
Habbouche said the Belmond facility opened in 1981 and in 2009 they had one of the lowest recordable incident rates in the history of the plant.
