Improper Machine Guarding Leads to (Another) Devastating Injury

By Tyler Doupe'

It’s no great secret that working with heavy machinery carries a certain amount of unavoidable risk. With that said, when proper safeguards are in place at the organizational level, that risk is effectively mitigated, ensuring that workers are protected from malady in all but the most unforeseen circumstances. Inversely, the chances of an unpleasant incident multiply when guidelines are treated like suggestions rather than protocol. When blatant disregard for safety guidelines continues even after OSHA enforcement action, it quickly becomes a matter of when there will be another tragedy, not if.

On that note, an entirely preventable incident recently made headlines. On June 5, 2025, a dreadful ordeal unfolded at All FAB Precision Sheetmetal, Inc. in San Jose, California. A worker was operating an unguarded press brake (a powerful machine designed to shape sheet metal) when calamity struck, costing the employee a finger.

This Incident Wasn’t the First of Its Kind

Sadly, this wasn’t the first incident of this nature to transpire at the aforementioned business. A nearly identical occurrence unfolded almost exactly one year prior. That historical context suggests that All FAB Precision Sheetmetal, Inc. knew firsthand the potential cost of unguarded machinery and allowed unsafe practices to go unchecked anyway. That piece did not sit well with OSHA. Not by a longshot.

California OSHA Chief Debra L. weighed in on this most recent occurrence, saying, “Safety guards must be in place for a reason. Bypassing these protections can result in workers being seriously injured or killed. What makes this case especially troubling is that the employer was already aware of the hazard. … This injury was entirely preventable.”

The OSHA Investigation Uncovered Multiple Violations

OSHA identified a series of violations during the course of their investigation, including one Willful Regulatory violation, one Serious Accident-Related violation, and one Willful Repeat Serious Accident-Related violation. Following the investigation, California OSHA assessed penalties totaling $212,850.

The California Department of Industrial Relations reported on February 26, 2026, that All FAB Precision Sheetmetal, Inc. has filed an appeal.

No matter what the outcome of the appeal, this preventable tragedy serves as a sobering reminder that lax safety standards invite preventable catastrophes that could otherwise easily have been avoided.

If you’re ready to learn more about safely working with heavy machinery, you will find plenty of useful information on the subject via OSHAcademy Course 726: Introduction to Machine Guarding.