Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 170153654 - Employee killed when pulled into mixing vat
| Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 112116033 | 03/19/1991 | 2841 | 0 | Chemrite Corporation |
Abstract: Employee #1 was a powder blender and leadsman on the night shift at Chemrite Corporation in Hawthorne, CA. He had filled a bin with powder detergent and other solid additives, then used a forklift to move the bin to a mixing vat. He dumped in the contents through a 2 ft by 1 1/2 ft opening in the wood cover of the vat. After starting the mixer, he returned the forklift and bin to the filling area. According to a coworker, Employee #1 had forgotten to add "blue suds" to the original detergent mix. The coworker brought him three 25 lb boxes, which Employee #1 dumped into the vat from a 3 ft high platform. As he added the third box, the plastic inner liner from the box fell into the mixing vat. Employee #1 was reaching inside the mixing vat through the opening to retrieve the bag when his hand and arm became caught in the auger blades. Before a nearby coworker could shut off the machine, he was pulled and wedged inside the mixing vat. Employee #1 was killed. Paramedics from the Hawthorne City Fire Department removed Employee #1's body from the vat.
| Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 112116033 | Fatality | Fracture | Mixing and blending machine operators |
Translate