Manufacturing Company Faces $217K Fine From OSHA

A western Kansas business has been fined $217,000 by the federal government after an employee died at the facility.

Brad Lovelady and Galen Huffman of Formation Plastics said the fine from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration comes six months after Mike Wente died when he was crushed by a massive plastics forming machine at the Quinter firm.

Lovelady and Huffman said they were expecting a fine, but they were shocked by the amount of the OSHA fines.

Lovelady stated he had expected a fine somewhere between $80,000 and $100,000, and thought it would be negotiated down to several thousand dollars.

He says it will take from 20 to 30 years to pay $217,000, and that company officials will meet with OSHA Tuesday.