UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

At 3:00 a.m. on October 17, 2021, an employee was performing maintenance on an E vergreen Packaging, Model EQ-70, Serial #22006/16111 packaging machine at a milk processing facility. The employee re-energized the packaging machine to test it during troubleshooting, using maintenance keys to override safety systems and o perate the machine while a guard door was open that exposed the feeder belt. Whi le observing operation of the belt, the employee places their left hand on the i nside of the feeder belt housing just above the feeder belt while it was operati onal. The feeder belt contained equally spaced metal bracket "pusher paws." One pusher paw" caught a ring on the employee's left ring finger and dragged his ha nd down the feeder belt, and the guard door box and machine enclosure prevented the employee from freeing his hand from the machine. The employee's left ring f inger was amputated at the first knuckle by the pusher paw which continued to mo ve with the feeder belt. The employee received medical treatment for the finger amputation but was not hospitalized. The employee was working alone and no cowor kers observed the incident.