Huddle script
In July 2025, a worker suffered fatal injuries after entering an unprotected area of a concrete block cubing machine in Miami. OSHA cited Adonel Concrete Corp., operating Adonel Block Manufacturing Corp., for nine serious violations, including inadequate machine guarding. OSHA's February 2026 release notes that inspection and penalty status can change. [1]
OSHA requires one or more guarding methods to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as points of operation, ingoing nip points and rotating parts. [2] Before using machinery, look for exposed moving parts or missing guards. If a guard is missing or damaged, stop and report the concern so the hazard can be addressed before work continues.
Discuss and plan
Adapt these planning prompts to your work, whether you coordinate the job from an office or work near machinery:
- Where could people encounter hazardous motion, and how will the team check that guards protect everyone in the machine area?
- How will a missing or damaged guard be reported and corrected before work resumes?
- How can workers raise a concern or stop work? Confirm the applicable stop-work and no-retaliation procedures with your team.
For your own tasks, consider controls in OSHA's recommended order: eliminate the hazard or substitute a safer approach where feasible; then consider engineering controls, safe work practices and administrative controls, and finally personal protective equipment. A suitable machine guard is an engineering control. Discuss options with workers and check that controls do not introduce new hazards. These are planning prompts, not findings about how the Miami incident happened. [2, 3]
Action and follow-through
Adapt this checklist to the task:
- Identify machinery and areas where people may be exposed to hazardous motion.
- Check guards and report missing or damaged protection before operating.
- Assign a person and target date for corrections, then verify the controls are implemented.
Owner and due date: Who will coordinate any needed corrections, and by when?
Close the loop: Who will tell affected workers what was decided and how concerns were resolved?
Verification question: Before work begins, how will you confirm the selected controls are in place and understood? [3]
Comprehension check: Who must machine guarding protect in the machine area? It must protect the operator and other employees in the machine area.
Sources
- OSHA cites Miami concrete manufacturer after worker suffers fatal injuries — OSHA. Accessed 2026-11-03. osha.gov
- General requirements for machine guarding — OSHA. Accessed 2026-11-03. osha.gov
- Hazard prevention and control — OSHA. Accessed 2026-11-03. osha.gov