Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119828804 - Health Valley Company

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:17 p.m. on September 1, 2000, the employees working in the Sprout Area of a food processing company were in the process of making cereal similar to cornflakes. The machines that were running at the time of the accident were a Sprout Bauer Extruder machine and a Wenger Cold Former. The two machines work together. The Sprout Bauer mixes the ingredients and cooks the dough, then extrudes it to the Wenger Cold Former, where the product is cooled down and made into pellets. The pellets were to be transported to another area for smashing. The smashing operation is not part of the task that was being performed in the Sprout Area. The Wenger Cold Former has a die located at the end product part of the machine. Food product comes out from the holes on the die. The knife assembly attached to the die cuts the food product for form pellets. The die is held in place by two C-clamps. A crew of five employees works this machine. The Wenger Cold Former has jammed. The accident occurred when the employees were attempting to remove the dough that was inside the Cold Former. In order to remove the dough, the die located in the product-end of the machine has to be removed. The power main power was shut off by an employee, but the pressure was not relieved. Employees were not trained to relieve the pressure prior to removing the die. Employee #2 was standing to the side of the machine. Employee #2 unscrewed the bolts and proceeded to tap the clamp using a mallet to loosen the clamp that held the die in place. The die came off and hit Employee #1 in the abdomen. There is conflicting statements as to where Employee #1 was standing and what hit him. Employee #1 contended that he was standing approximately 15 ft away when he was hit by the clamp. However, other employees who were in the vicinity and the police report stated Employee #1 was standing directly in front of the die and the die is what hit him in the abdomen. Employee #2 was sprayed by the food product in the face. The food product burned Employee #2's face and eyes. Employee #1 was hospitalized and Employee #2 was treated but not hospitalized.

Keywords: BURN, DIE, HEAT, STRUCK BY, UNTRAINED, PRESSURE RELEASE