Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119825446 - Health Valley Company

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on September 29, 2000, Employee #1 was working for Health Valley Company. At the time of the accident Employee #1 and another employee were on the right side of the Number 7 line food wrapper machine, Number B274, Doboy Number 1, BP4Z, Model Microtronic, Serial Number 92-14555. A third employee was on the left side of the machine. Employee #1 had been having trouble with the chain tension she told her supervisor, who called the third employee, the maintenance mechanic, to fix the problem. Employee #1 said that the machine was running but kept "getting stuck." She said she talked to the third employee, but that he refused to do anything. Employee #1 said the machine screen was marking fault. When it marks fault you are supposed to turn off the machine and call the mechanic. Fault could mean the chain is too tight or too loose. Employee #1 said she cleared the fault by pulling the emergency stop out. Once the emergency stop is pulled out, a yellow light indicates that the conveyor is not running but will run as soon as it senses product. Once the machine senses product the light changes to green. Employee #1 then removed the cover guarding the chain and sprockets so that she could check the chain tension. Employee #1 said that to adjust the chain tension the machine is always turned off, but to check the tension the machine needs to be operating. Other employees, even ones who had been trained by Employee #1, stated that they always turn the machine off prior to checking or adjusting the chain tension, or removing the cover. Employee #1 was wearing latex gloves when she placed her left hand on top of the conveyor so the product would be held back and the conveyor would not start. There are sensors above the conveyor belt that activate the conveyor when they sense product. Employee #1 then placed her right hand on the chain to feel the tension. The product arrived and the sensor activated the chain and sprocket that drives the conveyor belt. Employee #1 said that her glove got caught on the sprocket and the middle and ring fingers of her right hand were caught between the chain and sprocket. Employee #1 was transported to the Irwindale Industrial Medical Clinic, were she was treated for lacerations of the right middle finger and amputation of the tip of the right ring finger. This amputation included bone loss. Although the other two employees were nearby, they did not see the accident.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FOOD PREPARATION, FINGER, GLOVE, WORK RULES, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, CAUGHT BY, LACERATION, UNGUARDED