Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312683329 - National Beef California, L.P. Dba National Beef

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 6:00 AM, on May 3, 2010, Employee #1, a machine operator of National Beef California, was injured while operating a machine which was processing lean meat and bone. Employee #1 was operating a Sepamatic machine (Modernpack Sepamatic two type BEPA, Machine # 96520), which takes in bones from cow carcasses which have been trimmed but which still have lean meat attached. The lean meat is removed from the bone by the application of pressure to the bone via rollers, and the lean meat is directed out to a plastic bin while the bone is discarded. While operating the machine a bone got stuck in the roller. Employee #1 opened the feeder hopper at the top of the machine conveyor where the product is put in and attempted to pull the bone out with a meat hook. Opening the feeder hopper door normally trips a sensor that causes the machine rollers to stop, but the sensor was not operating when Employee #1 opened the feeder hopper and the machine rollers did not stop as he accessed the point of operation. When the bone became dislodged it was pulled into the rollers, and the employee was still grasping the meat hook which was attached to the bone. The bone, meat hook, and Employee #1's left ring finger were pulled in between the rollers. He was able to pull his finger out from in between the rollers, and was cared for by the facility nurse for skin degloving and crush injury to the fingertip. Employee #1 was transported to Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley, CA. As a result of the accident Employee #1 sustained an amputation to the bone and soft tissue of the distal phalanx of the ring finger on his left hand.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, INEXPERIENCE, LACERATION