Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125496604 - Boudin Bakery

Inspection Information - Office: San Francisco District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on November 3, 1999, Employee #1, a customer attendant for Boudin Bakery since April 23, 1997, was dumping trash in a hydraulic trash compactor. He was using a steel trash bin, manufactured by Bergmann Compactor, to dump material into a bigger compactor machine that was used by several other restaurants in the area. The securing hook of the Boudin's steel trash bin was not compatible with hook mechanism of the compactor. The Boudin metal trash bin did not have vertical steel guards on each side of the hook to prevent the bin from sliding sideways and becoming loose during the dumping operation. As a result, the trash bin fell and Employee #1's hand was trapped between it and the guardrail. The index finger on his right hand was fractured in three places and also lacerated. The Golden Gate Disposal and Recycling Company, which installed the large compactor, trained Boudin employees on operating instructions, but the training did not feature the metal containers that are used with Bergmann compactor bin. Only a standard 96 gallon plastic "toter" can was utilized for training. Immediately after the accident, the employer welded vertical steel guards on both sides of the hook. The employer was cited for a violation of T8CCR 3328(e), which states that machinery and equipment components shall be designed and secured to minimize hazards caused by falling. The poor design of the hook mechanism to secure the bin to the machine was identified as a cause of the accident-related violation.

Keywords: FRACTURE, FINGER, GUARD, WORK RULES, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, TRASH COMPACTOR, FALLING OBJECT, UNTRAINED