Inspection Detail

Inspection: 112067228 - Agri Empire

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 3:45 p.m. on October 22, 1991, Employee #1, of Agri-Empire, was on a ladder cleaning a conveyor belt that moved potatoes through the drying section of the washing and packaging process. When the equipment started, Employee #1's lower left arm became caught in the chain and sprocket drive of the conveyor belt and was severely lacerated. The equipment had an alarm system installed that required a horn to be sounded before the operating motors could be energized. There was also a time delay that prevented start-up for 5 seconds after the horn was sounded. Employee #1 apparently did not heed the warning horn. He was not using the extension tool that had been provided to clean weeds that became wrapped around the conveyor shaft.

Keywords: CHAIN, AGRICULTURE, WORK RULES, CLEANING, CAUGHT BY, LACERATION, SPROCKET, ARM, CONVEYOR BELT, INATTENTION