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Posted On: December 02, 2025
A fatal incident at a Kansas plastics plant shows how ignoring basic safety procedures can cost a life. At Great Lakes Polymer Technologies LLC (FabPro Polymers) in Kingman, Kansas, a simple but reckless act of using duct tape to keep a safety guard open played a direct role in the death of a worker.
Federal investigators from OSHA reviewed the August 4, 2022 event and found clear failures to control known machine hazards. Proper safety systems, training, and machine guarding would have prevented the tragedy.
The worker became entangled in rotating parts inside a bagging machine while trying to clear a jam. OSHA identified several serious and willful violations that created deadly working conditions.
Willful Violation: Bypassed Safety Guards:Duct tape had been used to cover the machine’s safety interlock switch. Safety interlocks are designed to stop a machine instantly when a guard is opened. By defeating that system, the machine continued to run with dangerous moving parts exposed.
Willful and Repeat Violations: No Lockout/Tagout (LOTO):The company did not follow Lockout Tagout requirements under 29 CFR 1910.147. LOTO is required during servicing, maintenance, or jam clearing. When it is not applied, workers can be exposed to unexpected machine movement and energy release.
Serious Violation: No LOTO Training:Employees had not been trained on how to de-energize equipment safely. Without proper training, workers do not know the correct steps for shutting down machinery before entering danger zones.
Additional Hazards:The plant also had slip hazards caused by loose plastic particles and leaking hydraulic fluid, creating even more unsafe conditions for workers.
OSHA Area Director Todd Underwood stated: “Proper machine safety procedures and training could have prevented this worker from losing his life.”
The message is clear: Moving machine parts are dangerous when guards are removed and safety practices are ignored.
The company had a history of machine safety violations and had been cited in 2019 for similar problems. For the 2022 incident, OSHA proposed penalties of $292,421. These included.
The fines show how serious the hazards are, but financial penalties can never compare to the loss of a life.
This case shows why two major safety standards must always be followed:
Machine Guarding (29 CFR 1910 Subpart O)Guards must stay in place and remain in good working order. They protect workers from contact with blades, gears, rollers, and other moving parts.
Lockout/Tagout (29 CFR 1910.147)Any time a worker needs to remove a guard or enter a danger zone, the machine must be:
LOTO saves lives. When the process is skipped, deadly incidents happen.
Proper training is one of the strongest defenses against caught-in injuries. Both Authorized and Affected Employees must understand how to control hazardous energy.
LOTO and Machine Guarding training programs are available online and offer:
Knowledge remains one of the most effective protections against machine hazards.
A simple piece of duct tape led to a fatality because basic safety rules were ignored. Proper training, proper guarding, and proper LOTO procedures would have saved a life.
Safety failures do not only break regulations, they break families.
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