OSHA fines USPS amid investigation into death of Allen Park postal worker

ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Federal workplace safety officials have issued citations and fines amid an investigation into the 2025 death of an Allen Park postal worker.

Nicholas John Acker, 36, of Trenton, worked on the mail processing equipment at the United States Postal Service’s Detroit Network Distribution Center in Allen Park.

He was found stuck in a machine Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, and had reportedly been dead for hours before firefighters arrived.

According to the medical examiner’s report, Nick’s body was found wedged in between a guard rail and the conveyor belt of a sorting machine.

The official cause of death was listed as Mechanical Asphyxia, which occurs when a heavy object – in this case, the mail machine – compresses or crushes the body.

When Acker didn’t return from work, his fiancée, Stephanie Jaszcz, said she began to panic and went to the Allen Park facility and waited outside the gates watching emergency responders arrive, before she was notified of his death.

The OSHA investigation has been ongoing since his death, and is still not marked as closed. Currently, there are three violations and five citations listed on the inspection page for this case.

OSHA and the USPS currently have an informal settlement listed, bringing the fine amount to $26,481.

“It is disgusting and infuriating that a company can hide behind a program like OSHA — a system that’s supposed to protect workers and make sure people come home alive — only to walk away with slashed fines, meaningless citations, and zero real accountability. What’s the point of a safety agency if the companies who violate the rules get a discount for killing someone.”

Stephanie Jaszcz

The citations listed on the inspection page include the following:

• On Nov. 8, 2025, employees were exposed to caught-in hazards while the conveyors were running or if a conveyer were to unexpectedly start-up due to USPS failing to conduct periodic inspections of the energy control procedure at least annually.
• On Jan. 28, 2026, USPS didn’t make sure maintenance employees working to repair equipment had adequate Lockout/Tagout training for group lockout when they were working on a conveyor belt.
• On Jan. 28, 2026, maintenance employees were exposed to caught-in and fall hazards when repairing a hotel conveyor belt without the use of a group lockout device.
• On Jan. 28, 2026, USPS didn’t make sure the proper procedures were used during shift changes to ensure the continuity of lockout protections -- this exposed employees to caught-in and fall hazards.
• On Jan. 28, 2026, and times thereafter, USPS didn’t ensure that energy control procedures were used when maintenance employees were repairing a hotel conveyor belt -- again, exposing them to caught-in and fall hazards.

A common theme in these citations is failure to provide adequate training and utilize Lockout/Tagout procedures. These procedures are meant to prevent death or serious injury by preventing the unexpected startup or release of stored energy in machines and equipment.

--> Previous coverage: Investigation into USPS facility in Allen Park

Here’s a deeper look at the OSHA citations issued in this case

Here is each citation exactly as OSHA has them posted on the inspection page:

Citation 01001: The employer did not conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirement of this standard were being followed: On or about November 8, 2025, the employer did not ensure periodic inspections of the energy control procedures for the Alpha conveyors were completed at least annually. Inspections of the energy control procedures needed to include an inspection of the energy control procedure and a review with each authorized employee, their responsibilities under the energy control procedure. Employees working on and near the Alpha conveyors, when performing mail search activities, were exposed to caught-in hazards while the conveyors were running or if a conveyer were to unexpectedly start-up.

Citation 01002: The employer did not provide training to authorized employee(s) on the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control: On or about January 28, 2026, the employer did not ensure maintenance employees tasked with performing equipment repair work and oversight were provided with adequate authorized employee LOTO training covering the requirements of group lockout. Employees and supervisors were not fully trained on the specific methods and means to control energy sources while they performed and over saw work on hotel conveyor belt #40 in the facility.

Citation 01004A: Each authorized employee did not affix a personal lockout or tagout device to the group lockout device before working on the machine or equipment: On or about January 28, 2026, and at times thereafter, the employer did not ensure that when maintenance tasks were performed by multiple employees, each authorized employee affixed a personal lockout device to the energy isolation device device before working on the equipment. Maintenance employees were exposed to caught-in and fall hazards when performing repair work on hotel conveyor belt 40 without the use of a group lockout device.

Citation 01004B: During shift or personnel changes, specific procedures were not utilized to ensure the continuity of lockout or tagout protection, including provision for the orderly transfer of lockout or tagout device protection between off-going and oncoming employees, to minimize exposure to hazards from the unexpected energization or start-up of the machine or equipment, or the release of stored energy. On or about January 28, 2026 and at times thereafter, the employer did not ensure procedures were utilized during shift and personnel changes to ensure the continuity of lockout protections to minimize exposure to hazards from the unexpected energization or start up of equipment such as hotel conveyor belt 40 during work such as, but not limited to repairing the metal lacing on the belt, exposing employees to caught-in and fall hazards.

Citation 01004C: The established procedure for the application of energy control (the lockout or tagout procedures) did not cover the actions listed in and was not done in sequence as required by 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(1)-(6): On or about January 28, 2026 and at times thereafter, the employer did not ensure that the company’s energy control procedures were utilized to control hazardous mechanical movement of hotel conveyor belt 40, when maintenance employees conducted repair work such as, but not limited to repairing the metal lacing on the belt and replacing the belt or shortening the belt, exposing employees to caught-in and fall hazards.