Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312913270 - Ready Roast Nut Co Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At 8:30 a.m. on May 22, 2009, three employees were working on Oil Roaster #1, breaking pecans into smaller pieces at a nut packing plant. Employee #1 was operating the Nut Breaker #0033, feeding pecans into the hopper. The hopper was jamming and Employee #1 had removed the guard and was using a "paddle" (extension tool) to push the product through the rollers. Employee #1 used her left hand to turn the machine off and on. The power switch is 1.5 feet to the left of where Employee #1 was standing. The steel grated rollers can be adjusted to change the size the product is broken into. Since this order was for a small, fine milled product the rollers were set very close together. Employee #1 was transported to CRMC in Fresno, where she underwent multiple surgeries resulting in amputation of her right hand up to and including a portion of her thumb. A coworker was packing the product and another coworker was stacking boxes on a pallet.

Keywords: ROTATING PARTS, AMPUTATED, CAUGHT BY, JAMMED, LOCKOUT, ROLLER--MACH/PART, CRUSHED, HAND, UNGUARDED, HOPPER