Tootsie Roll facing fine for gruesome finger mishap at plant

By DON BABWIN
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Federal officials are recommending that Tootsie Roll Industries pay more than $136,000 in fines after a machine cut off part of an employee’s finger at its Chicago plant this year. The U.S. Department of Labor said in a news release Tuesday that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued one willful violation “for inadequate machine guarding” and proposed the fines after an investigation into the April 19 incident. The release says the employee reached into a machine to remove stuck paper debris when a bag sealer snapped shut on his finger. The company says it disagrees with the findings of the investigation.