Inspection Detail

Inspection: 121911739 - Masterfoods Usa, Inc. Aka Mars Petcare Us, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Columbus Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 worked in the pumpable meat department of Kal Kan, Inc. His job was to take a sample of the pumpable meat, a mixture of chicken, pork, or beef parts, sent to the plant in tanker trucks when it arrived on site, and to document its temperature of the meat. The pumpable meat product had to be at or below 40 degrees F for the load to be accepted. If the load was acceptable, Employee #1 would fasten a large hose to the tanker and off-load the product through an enclosed, gravity-fed piping system. When the load was almost emptied, he would remove the hose and stand on a platform above the tank to wash the remainder of the pumpable meat from the tank. Between three and four months after starting work at the plant, Employee #1 died as a result of cardiac arrest secondary to myocarditis. Personal protective equipment was worn at all times, and consisted of a hard hat, safety shoes, and hearing protection; rubber gloves and an apron were also used when washing out the tank. It is possible that Employee #1 caught a work-related virus or bacterial infection. At age 23, he was unusually young to have suffered from myocarditis.

Keywords: CARDIOVASC SYSTEM, HEART, TANK TRUCK, TANK CLEANING, CARDIAC ARREST, CARDIOVASC DISEASE, INFECTION, OFF LOADING, INFECTIOUS DISEASE