Inspection Detail

Inspection: 2837276 - Campbell Soup Company

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CLEANING A MEPACO #170 VEGETABLE MIXING MACHINE, SERIAL #382, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEGETABLE MIXER IS EQUIPPED WITH TWIN AUGER BLADES. IT IS CLEANED ON A DAILY BASIS BY MEMBERS OF THE THIRD SHIFT. A STREAM OF WATER UNDER HIGH PRESSURE IS USED TO CLEAN THE MIXER. HE HAD STARTED THE AUGERS SO THEY WOULD SWEEP WATER AND VEGETABLES OUT THE DISCHARGE DOORS AND ONTO THE FLOOR. HE NOTICED A BUILD UP OF RICE ON THE LIP OF THE LEFT DISCHARGE DOOR. HE AIMED A STREAM OF WATER DIRECTLY AT THE BUILD UP. HOWEVER, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT WATER PRESSURE TO REMOVE THE RICE FROM HIS POSITION AT THE REAR OF THE MIXER. WITH THE AUGER BLADES RUNNING, THE EMPLOYEE WALKED TO THE DISCHARGE END OF THE EQUIPMENT. HE SQUATTED DOWN, REACHED UP UNDER THE BARRIER GUARD AND AIMED THE STREAM OF WATER AT THE LIP OF THE 12 INCH DIAMETER DOOR. FROM HIS POSITION, HE HAD TO PLACE HIS HAND VERY CLOSE TO THE DOOR OPENING TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY STRIKE THE RICE BUILD UP WITH THE STREAM OF WATER. HE CAME TOO CLOSE TO THE AUGER BLADE AND WAS STRUCK BY IT. THE BLADE SEVERED HIS RIGHT INDEX FINGER AND LACERATED HIS RIGHT THUMB. THERE WERE NO WRITTEN WORK RULES REGARDING THE SAFE PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING THIS EQUIPMENT.

Keywords: MIXER BLADE, AMPUTATED, FINGER, WORK RULES, CLEANING, LACERATION, AUGER