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Inspection Detail
Inspection: 1472515.015 - J. S. West Milling Company
Inspection Information - Office: Modesto District Office
Site Address:
J. S. West Milling Company
7406 Griffith Ave
Hilmar, CA 95324
Mailing Address:
501 9th Street, Modesto, CA 95354
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:
NAICS: 112310/Chicken Egg Production
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Safety
Close Conference: 10/08/2020
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 11/23/2020
| Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 1570538 |
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Current Violations | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Initial Penalty | $9,450 | $0 | $0 | $525 | $0 | $9,975 |
| Current Penalty | $3,710 | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $0 | $5,710 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Other | 3328(B) | 10/08/2020 | $0 | $525 | $0 | I - Informal Settlement | Citation has been deleted. | ||
| 2. | 02001 | Other | 3314(D) | 10/08/2020 | $2,000 | $4,725 | $0 | I - Informal Settlement | |||
| 3. | 03001 | Serious | 3999(B) | 10/08/2020 | $3,710 | $4,725 | $0 | I - Informal Settlement |
Investigation Summary
At 1:20 p.m. on April 11, 2020, an employee working as a laborer for a chicken egg producer was working in a lay house. The crew was in the process of adjusting the Big Dutchman OptiSec manure drying system dust conveyor belt. The damaged belt had been removed and the crew removed four guards in order to access the damaged belt and install and align the new belt. The employee was laying on his side at the north side head and take up pulley watching and marking the location of the belt on head pulley. He would then tell Coworker #1 whether tracking needed to be adjusted left or right. Coworker #1 was located on the south side at the drive end and sprockets. Coworker #1 was turning a screw whichever direction was necessary to align the belt. Coworker #2 was standing by the electrical panel to stop and start the line or reset the panels via a computer located in a separate room out of view. The crew was communicating via radio. The crew was having problems getting the belt to align properly, which may be because it was a 59-inch wide belt instead of 70-inch wide belt. The employer had them install it temporarily until the correct belt was received. The crew had to make adjustments and move the belt manually several times. Two alerts had gone off and the belt was no longer running. Coworker #2 asked if the belt was running and the employee thought it quit. He said when Coworker #3 (assistant manager) arrives he will turn it off. The employee thought it was broken and used his hand to pull on the belt. As he stood up, he touched the corner of the belt to see where it was. The belt turned on and caught the employee's left-hand middle and index fingers and started pulling his hand into the rollers. The employee screamed and Coworker #2 pushed the emergency stop button. Coworker #3 was called to the site via radio and the machine parts were cut to release the employee. The employee was hospitalized to treat crushed fingers and wrist fractures.
Keywords: Adjust, Agriculture, Agriculture Machinery/Vehicle, Belt, Belt Conveyor, Chain, Communication, Crushed, Emergency Stop, Farm, Farm Machinery, Finger, Fracture, Hand, Inspection, Installing, Laborer, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Machine Guarding, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Power Roller, Pulled In, Pulley, Repair, Roller Conveyor, Roller--Mach/Part, Sprocket, Wrist
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1472515.015 | 39 | M | Hospitalized injury | Laborers, except construction |