Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314754912 - Northgate Gonzalez Llc Dba Northgate Market 22

Inspection Information - Office: High Hazard Unit - South

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:38 p.m. on Wednesday, February 2, 2011, an employee was working for Northgate Gonzalez LLC, dba Northgate Market 22. Northgate Market 22 was a grocery store in West Covina, CA. The employee was working as the supervisor in the tortilleria department at Northgate Market 22. Although her immediate supervisor was not at the store on this date, there was another worker there acting as her supervisor. The employee started her shift at 7:00 a.m. She was counting tortillas until 11:30 a.m., when she went for lunch. At around 12:30 p.m., a customer asked for some masa dough. The dough was in a horizontal mixer. The narrative did not specify the model or serial number. The employee did not know how to operate the mixer. When her supervisor saw her pushing buttons on the control panel, the supervisor arranged the mixer so that the masa dough could be extruded from the mixer by using the jog button. The mixer's controls were set up so that it was operated by only one person. While her supervisor was jogging the machine, the employee put her hand in the mixer. Her right hand was caught by the blade and pinned. Her supervisor did not see the employee reaching into the machine while he was trying to get the dough out. The employee sustained a laceration to her right palm, and all four fingers on her right hand other than the thumb were broken. Paramedics were called, and the employee was taken to Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center for treatment. Within 24 hours, the employee was transported to the Western Hand Center in Downey, CA, for outpatient surgery. The accident was reported to the Cal/OSHA West Covina district office by West Covina paramedics at 1:15 p.m. on February 2, 2011.

Keywords: MIXER BLADE, FOOD PREPARATION, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, MIXER, CAUGHT BY, INEXPERIENCE, LACERATION, COMMUNICATION, HAND