Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305476368 - Two Chefs On A Roll, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 6:30 a.m. on May 8, 2004, was working in the bakery section of a facility that prepares and packages a variety of food items for retail consumption. Employee #1 was assigned to reassemble machines and equipment that had been taken apart the night before for cleaning. One of the regularly assigned operators assigned to assemble and operate a Hinds-Boch single piston filler-depositor, Model Number SP-64, did nor show up for work. Therefore, Employee #1 was instructed to get the piece of equipment back on-line. The machine is used to dispense batter (e.g., cake batter). It was a floor model and has a stand that supports a hopper. At the end of the hopper there is a mechanism that measures exactly how much batter is to be dispensed into a waiting container on the table. This dispensing mechanism is pneumatically controlled by a foot pedal and consists of a piston that opens and closes to dispense the batter. After Employee #1 assembled the depositor, he wanted to check if the piston was installed correctly. He asked a coworker to operate the foot pedal so that he could see the piston's movement clearly. As the coworker activated foot pedal, the piston began to open and close. Employee #1 held the housing in order to feel the piston's movement and his middle finger on his left hand came into contact with the piston. Employee #1 was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for a partial amputation of his left middle finger. Due to complications with his injury, surgery was performed for additional amputation of the third distal phalanx on the finger.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FOOD PREPARATION, FINGER, WORK RULES, FOOT CONTROL, MACHINE OPERATOR, PISTON, TEST EQUIPMENT, CAUGHT BETWEEN