Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1555460.015 - Culinary Innovation Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

At 1:00 p.m. on September 15, 2021, an employee working as a cook for a food manufacturer was making vegetable patties using a Hollymatic Super Model 54 Food Portioning Machine (patty machine). The employee was working on a crew along with Coworker #1, who was standing near the employee, and Coworker #2, operating the patty machine. The crew were not using any hand tools and instead were using their hands to catch the 3-inch patties as they fell from the machine. Prior to her making patties, the employee had been cooking when she decided to stop and help on the patty line. Coworker #3 who supervises the crew (Director of Product Development) was present but did not see the incident. The employee was catching patties from the machine when the machine caught her right-hand nitrile glove pulling her hand into the machine. The employee told Coworker #1 to turn off the machine, and she left the room holding her hand. Coworker #3 rendered first aid and transported the employee to a clinic where they were told to go to the hospital. The employee was hospitalized to treat amputations of her middle and ring fingers. The employee's fingers were initially reattached and then later removed surgically due to rejection. A guard was installed by the employer after the incident.

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Caught By, Cook, Engineering Controls, Finger, First Aid, Food processing, Hand, Hand Tool, Instantaneous amputation, Laceration, Lack of Engineering Controls, Machine Guarding, Machine operator, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Pinch Point, Pinched, Point Of Operation, Pulled In, Struck By, Traumatic Amputation