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The United States Department of Labor has found that the arm of a mechanic working at a U.S. mail facility in North Carolina was amputated in September 2021 after coming into contact with a machine that had a safety guard removed.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it inspected the facility in Greensboro following the injury in late September. The agency released its findings in a news release on Friday.

The U.S. Postal Service operates the Greensboro Network Distribution Center. The federal inspection identified “repeat and serious safety violations, including failure to ensure that safety guards were in place as required and allowing conveyor guards to be routinely removed, leaving workers at risk of injuries,” the news release said.

The facility also failed to train staff on working near conveyors or proper methods for safely operating equipment, the agency said. And the facility allowed workers without adequate training and protective equipment to perform tests on live electrical equipment, the news release said.

The agency said its citations come with $170,918 in proposed fines.

“The U.S. Postal Service ignored long-established safety standards and put workers at risk,” OSHA Area Director Kimberley Morton said.

USPS will be able to request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings, the news release said.

Media contacts for the U.S. Postal Service did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on Sunday.

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