1. Press Room

NEWS RELEASE Release Number: 2026- 19 Date: February 26, 2026

Cal/OSHA cites San Jose sheet metal company more than $212,000 following amputation accident

Fremont – The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has issued penalties totaling $212,850 to All FAB Precision Sheetmetal, Inc., following an investigation into a workplace amputation at the company’s San Jose facility.

What Happened: On June 5, 2025, a press brake, a powerful machine used to bend sheet metal, was operated without the required safety guard in place, resulting in the amputation of an employee’s finger when it became caught in the unguarded machine.

The employer was aware of the machine-guarding requirement following a similar incident that occurred in June 2024, when another employee also had their finger amputated.

What Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee Said: “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. A nearly identical accident had occurred just twelve months earlier. This injury was entirely preventable.”

Violations Identified by Cal/OSHA:

Cal/OSHA’s investigation resulted in one Willful Regulatory violation, one Serious Accident-Related violation, and one Willful Repeat Serious Accident-Related violation.

• The employer failed to ensure required safeguards were in place on machinery with crushing and amputation hazards.
• A repeat failure to control known hazards persisted despite prior incident history and regulatory requirements.
• The employer allowed operation of the press brake without effective guards to protect employees from hazardous machine parts. The case has been referred to Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations.

In the prior incident, Cal/OSHA issued multiple serious citations totaling $43,500 to All FAB Precision Sheetmetal. Despite that enforcement action and clear regulatory requirements, the employer failed to correct the hazard.

Why This Matters: Machine-guarding failures are a leading cause of serious workplace injuries. When moving machine parts are not properly guarded, employees face significant risks, including amputations, crushing injuries, other life-altering harm, and even death.
Ensuring that machine-guarding protections are in place and fully functional is critical to preventing avoidable injuries and protecting workers.

Employers cited by Cal/OSHA have the right to appeal any citation and notification of penalty by filing an appeal with the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board within 15 working days from receipt of notification of the citations and penalties. In this case, the employer has filed an appeal.

Enforcing Accountability:

Through citations, penalties, and criminal referrals, Cal/OSHA ensures that employers who disregard worker safety face meaningful consequences. Across California, businesses in multiple industries have faced enforcement actions. Recent examples include $221,000 in penalties against Devastating Pyrotechnics following a deadly explosion in Esparto. More than $529,000 in penalties were assessed against Smelly Mel’s Plumbing and Sewer Rat Plumbing after a trench collapse in San Mateo seriously injured a worker. Nearly $100,000 in penalties were issued against Oakland-based Alco Iron & Metal after a fatal forklift incident that was also referred to the District Attorney’s Office. Cal/OSHA also assessed $276,425 in penalties against Parkwood Landscape Maintenance in Van Nuys for repeatedly failing to protect workers from extreme heat.

About Cal/OSHA

Within the Department of Industrial Relations, Cal/OSHA helps protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California.

Workers in California are protected regardless of immigration status.

Workers who have questions about safety and health in the workplace can call 833-579-0927 to speak with a live, bilingual Cal/OSHA representative between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Complaints about workplace safety and health hazards can be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices.

Employers who have questions or need assistance with workplace health and safety programs can call Cal/OSHA’s Consultation Services Branch at 800-963-9424 or their local Cal/OSHA Consultation Office, or email InfoCons@dir.ca.gov.

Media Contact: Communications@dir.ca.gov, (510) 286-1161