Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307042531 - Jennie-O-Turkey Store, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Eau Claire Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 6:40 p.m. on March 6, 2007, Employee #1 was working in the evisceration department of a turkey processing plant. His job description involved sanitation duties, including picking up contaminated turkey parts that had fallen to the floor of the evisceration department. He worked next to a turkey neck splitting machine. The splitter was used to split open turkey necks before they were run through a chilling process. It was designed with the assistance of the employer's engineering department, manufactured by a third party, and placed into operation in October 2006. It required one operator, who placed turkey necks into the splitter on the infeed side via a feed tube angled at approximately 90 degrees. The necks were then pulled across a cutting blade inside the splitter by two rotating spiked chains arranged parallel to each other with a gap in between. The split necks were discharged onto a chute that was angled downward, allowing the necks to fall into a hopper. The discharge end of the splitter and spiked chains were covered only by a rubber flap that could easily be flipped back. At the time of the accident, Employee #1 was performing his assigned duties, when he observed turkey necks backing up on the discharge pan of the neck splitter. As he attempted to free the necks with his right hand, it was pulled into the splitter below the rotating spiked chains. His right hand was caught under the improperly guarded spiked chains. He immediately told the splitter operator to turn off the machine, and management and the facility's first responders were notified. With the assistance of maintenance personnel, his hand was freed. Emergency medical technicians were called, and Employee #1 was transported to Barron Memorial Hospital in Barron, WI. He was then airlifted to St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN. He was hospitalized. As a result of the accident, he sustained the amputation of his middle finger, severe lacerations to two other fingers, and a partial degloving, all on his right hand.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, WORK RULES, CLEANING, DEGLOVED, MEAT SLICING MACHINE, CAUGHT BY, POINT OF OPERATION, HAND, UNGUARDED