Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312333016 - Johnson Farms Blending Division Of Iowa, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Iowa 0751910

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on March 31, 2008, Employee #1 was working for a company that processes feed for livestock. Employee #1 and two coworkers were adding feed ingredients into an industrial-sized blender. While the coworkers were working together, adding sacks filled with the feed ingredients, Employee #1 was in a slightly different location adding larger bags of ingredients. All three were in visual contact during their work. The facilities process requires that the blender is off during the adding of the ingredients. Employee #1 and the two coworkers were abiding by this rule: first, one coworker would place a sack over the grate and cut it, and then the second coworker would grab the bag and dump it; second, Employee #1 unties and dumps his sack. When the hopper of the blender fills up, the second coworker yells that he is going to activate the blender and then turns it on to level the ingredients. As Employee #1 raised a sack above the blender and was preparing to untie it, the second coworker started the blender. One of the ties got wrapped around Employee #1's left thumb, causing him to jerk his hand back. The skin and thumb nail parted from the bone. Employee #1 was taken to a nearby hospital, where a physician was able to stretch the skin over the bone and stitch it closed. During an interview with Employee #1, it was noted that he had received three weeks of training, which instructed him to hold onto the sack's ties while emptying its contents. However, Employee #1 reported that he had failed to follow this step when the accident occurred.

Keywords: FOOD PREPARATION, FINGER, CAUGHT BY, LACERATION, SKIN, INATTENTION