Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1577810.015 - General Mills Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At 7:00 p.m. on August 29, 2021, an employee was working as a laborer at a wheat and grain processing facility. The employee was clearing a choke of wheat from a blower line. The employee was assigned to the mill to assist a coworker, the miller, with processing, cleaning, and producing flour. The employee was monitoring his HMI Screen and was informed of an issue with one of the airlocks. The employee responded to the airlock that was now working and appeared to be impacted by a choke in the line. The employee locked out and tagged out the airlock and opened a 5-inch diameter line to find the choke. The employee cleared most of the choke and attempted to start the airlock. He then realized that there was still product in the line and he reached his right hand inside to clear the choke. The employee's index finger contacted the airlock rotary blade. The employee received first aid from his coworkers and was transported to local hospital. Th employee was hospitalized to treat an amputated fingertip.

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Clearing, Contact, Finger, Fingertip, Food processing, Grain, Hand, Instantaneous amputation, Jammed, Laborer, Machine Guarding, Machine operator, Manufacturing, Mill--Plant, Milling Machine, Millwright, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Partial Amputation, Reaching, Reaching In, Struck By, Traumatic Amputation