OSHA fines Ashley Furniture $1.76M for worker injuries

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing fining Ashley Furniture Industries Inc. $1.76 million for worker injuries at its Arcadia, Wis., plant, the agency said Monday.

The agency claims there were 1,000 work-related injuries at the plant in over three years, including one worker who lost three fingers in July while operating a woodworking machine, according to The Associated Press.

In a statement, Arcadia-based Ashley Furniture said it "strongly disputes" the allegations and believes the proposed penalties are "grossly inappropriate and overzealous."

"At Ashley, each employee's safety and well-being is an absolute priority," said Steve Ziegeweid, Ashley Furniture's director of health and safety.

OSHA has placed Ashley Furniture in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program for allegedly failing to address safety hazards.

"Ashley Furniture has created a culture that values production and profit over worker safety, and employees are paying the price," U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said in a news release.

Read more from The Associated Press.