Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1459212.015 - Clasen Quality Chocolate, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Madison Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 8:20 p.m. on January 23, 2020, an employee working at a chocolate factory was disconnecting tubing from the discharge side a portable pump. The employee was assisting a coworker preforming a product change over on a product line. Once the employee had disconnected the tube, he noticed product dripping from the discharge port where the tubing was connected. The employee reached into the pump with his right hand to clean out the product and caught his fingers in the pump impellers. The equipment had not been deenergized. The employee amputated his middle and ring fingertips, requiring hospitalization.

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Blind Reaching, Caught In, Disconnecting Means, Energized, Finger, Fingertip, Food processing, Hand, Lack of Work Procedures, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Machine operator, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Partial Amputation, Pinched, Production Line, Pump, Reaching