An Ohio plastic-bag manufacturer faces more than $150,000 in penalties for repeated safety violations after a worker lost part of his thumb in a bag-sealing machine.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it had cited Ashland-based Liqui-Box Corp. for failing to adequately train employees in lockout/tagout procedures on the machines, and failing to complete annual audits of the company's safety processes.

Liqui-Box has been placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, the agency said in a news release.

"Hundreds of workers are injured every year in manufacturing facilities because employers fail to follow machine safety procedures," said Kim Nelson, OSHA director in Toledo.

The worker's thumb was crushed when a machine door closed on it. The company now has 15 days to comply, request a conference with OSHA or contest the findings.