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Inspection Detail
Inspection: 307215731 - Smithfield Packing Company Tar Heel Division
Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Raleigh
Site Address:
Smithfield Packing Company Tar Heel Division
15855 Hwy 87 North
Tar Heel, NC 28392
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 99, Tar Heel, NC 28392
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:2011
NAICS: 311611/Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Safety
Close Conference: 12/15/2003
Planning Guide: Safety-Manufacturing
Emphasis: S:Program Improvements
Case Closed: 06/04/2004
| Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 100355387 |
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Current Violations | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Initial Penalty | $6,175 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $6,175 |
| Current Penalty | $4,323 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $4,323 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Serious | 19100023 C01 | 03/10/2004 | 06/08/2004 | $1,593 | $2,275 | $0 | I - Informal Settlement | ||
| 2. | 01002 | Serious | 19100133 A01 | 03/10/2004 | 06/08/2004 | $1,138 | $1,625 | $0 | I - Informal Settlement | ||
| 3. | 01003A | Serious | 19100146 C01 | 03/10/2004 | 06/08/2004 | $1,592 | $2,275 | $0 | I - Informal Settlement | ||
| 4. | 01003B | Serious | 19100146 C02 | 03/10/2004 | 06/08/2004 | $0 | $0 | $0 | I - Informal Settlement |
Investigation Summary
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on November 20, 2003, Employee #1 was working by himself cleaning out a tanker that was outside the casing area. The tanker was used as a temporary holding tank to store mucosa mixed with sodium bisulfate until the mix could be moved back into the casing department through installed piping to, be digested. This process involved moving, holding, heating, and altering the PH to create a by-product called Hepar, a medication used to clot blood. The tanker was hard piped to and from the casing department. It was leased and had been in place since October 29, 2001. An employee stated that he designed the tanker operation, and the piping had been installed by the leasing company and other coworkers of his company. Employee #1 had been employed by a labor union since September 29, 2003 and was in a 90 day training program that was negotiated between labor and management. After 90, days while working in the casing department, Employee #1 would have been an employee of the company. The normal operation was to drain the tank by starting the pump and opening the bottom drain line. The mucosa tank would be drained back into the casing department where it would undergo a series of digestive procedures. Once the mucosa was drained from the tank, water needed to be added to ensure all the mucosa was drained out due to its heavy consistency. Neither the operator nor the first shift manager instructed Employee #1 on what do, but it is assumed that Employee #1 was in the process of cleaning the tanker, when he retrieved a 16-ft-ladder from the cut department and went down into the tanker, where he was later found dead at the bottom of the ladder. Employee #1 was asphyxiated and died as a result of his injuries. The cause of the accident was that the tanker was not labeled as a permit required confined space.
Keywords: ASPHYXIATED, CONFINED SPACE, DRAIN PIPE, TANK CLEANING, CHEMICAL VAPOR, CHEMICAL
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 307215731 | Fatality | Asphyxia | Production helpers |