Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. OSHA citation items will be posted 30 (thirty) days after the employer receives the citation(s), except in cases of significant public interest. Posted citation items reflect any amendments to citations that are the result of a prompt settlement, which OSHA encourages. Employers and employee representatives will continue to receive copies of the citation(s) upon issuance.

Inspection: 1458699.015 - Primula Mozzarella Llc. Dba Angelo And Franco, The Mozzarella Guys

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At 12:50 or 1:00 p.m. on December 19, 2019, an employee was working at a firm that manufactured cheese. She was a machine operator. She was working alone in the production room. She was cleaning the mold machine. For the mold machine to be cleaned, it was necessary that parts move. As the employee hand washed the machine with hot water, she would turn it on and off. With the machine running, the employee was hand washing the screw conveyor. The thumb of her right glove became caught on the machine's conveyor belt. To free her caught right thumb and glove from the conveyor belt, the employee lifted the mold machine's safety cage. This move shut the mold machine off. She asked a coworker for help. To free the employee's glove from the mold machine, the employee and her coworker lowered the machine's safety cage. This move activated the screw conveyor. The conveyor pulled the employee's right arm into the body of the machine. The fire department was call. Rescue personnel removed the employee's right arm from the machine and transported her to the hospital. The employee underwent surgery for fractures to her right arm and thumb as well as nerve damage to her right arm. She was hospitalized. She was admitted on December 19, 2019, and discharged on December 27, 2019. The fire department reported the incident to the Long Beach CAL-OSHA office later on the day of the incident. The employer did not report the incident on a timely basis and thus did not meet the requirements of 342(a). On January 28, 2020, the division conducted an investigation of the incident. The employer to did not provide the employee with an extension cleaning tool that would have prevented her from placing her hand in the immediate area of the energized screw conveyor. Employees were not familiar with the safe use and maintenance of such tools, methods, or means by thorough training.

Keywords: Arm, Caught By, Caught In, Cleaning, Conveyor, Conveyor Belt, Extension Handle, Food processing, Fracture, Glove, Hand, Laceration, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Nerve damage, Pulled In, Safety Device, Screw Conveyor, Thumb, Training