Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316209832 - Cardenas Markets, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:51 a.m. on Wednesday, September 26, 2012, an employee was working as a butcher or meat cutter for Cardenas Markets, Inc. She was working in the meat department of a store in Indio, CA. Cardenas Markets operated full-service supermarkets in the greater Riverside and San Bernardino County area. The employee had been working the day shift as the manager of the meat department. At the time of the incident she was using a meat cutting band saw to cut whole sections of beef shank meat (also known as chamorro meat) into slices. The meat was covered with an outside layer of membrane and fatty tissue. As the employee was cutting one of the whole pieces of shank meat, the saw blade jammed on that layer. The entire piece of meat turned toward the saw blade, pulling her hand into the path of the blade. The middle finger on her right hand was amputated just below the first knuckle. There were no percipient witnesses to the accident, and no other employees were in the vicinity at the time. The employee was allowed to drive herself in her personal vehicle to a local hospital for treatment for her partial amputation. The Division was notified of the incident by a management representative for the employer at approximately 7:39 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26, 2012.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FOOD PREPARATION, FINGER, CAUGHT BY, SAW, POINT OF OPERATION, MANUAL MAT HANDLING, BLADE