Contact with hot objects or substances · Heat (thermal) burns, unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at RESER'S FINE FOODS, 3215 SE 6TH STREET, TOPEKA, KANSAS 66607
on — Heat (thermal) burns, unspecified, affecting the multiple body parts, n.e.c..
Final narrative
On December 2, 2016, at 2315, an employee was blanching green beans when they became lodged in a stand-alone chute that is used to transfer product from one location to another. The employee was using a scraper to dislodge the beans when there was an uncontrolled release of water that was approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The employee was hit by the water and suffered second degree burns to the upper back, arms, forehead, and ear.
An employee was repairing a belt on a conveyor. He turned and struck his head on an overhead beam and then fell back into the conveyor he was working on, sustaining a back injury.
At 3:54 a.m. on January 7, 2020, an employee was preparing to clean an auger that fed the mixers on a production line. His left hand came into contact with an adjacent, moving auger, which amputated about 1/2 inch of his left thumb. He was hospitalized.
An employee was standing underneath a column dumper cleaning up food waste when a cart of diced potatoes fell from the column dumper and struck the employee, causing multiple fractures and a punctured lung.
An employee sustained a right middle fingertip amputation when a plastic reusable pallet tote fell onto her finger when she was trying to move it. She was hospitalized for surgery to repair the injury.
An employee connected a steam line to a hose to clean equipment when the fitting broke loose. They were struck by steam in the left inner thigh, resulting in burns that required hospitalization.
An employee was making tea when she noticed tea grinds were collecting on the side and water was no longer dripping through the funnel. The employee was checking the funnel when boiling water and tea grinds spilled onto the left side of her body. The employee sustained burns to her neck, back, and arm.
An employee had turned off the ball valve on a waterpipe system and was removing the plug when the coupling system attached to the strainer came apart. Hot water sprayed on his arm and back, resulting in first- and second-degree burns that required surgery.
An employee was using a shovel to remove waste vermiculite from molten zinc. The metal had been placed in a bin and partially hardened. The employee broke through the partially hardened metal; still-molten metal flowed to the employee's steel-toed right boot and entered through the cloth boot tongue. The employee suffered a third-degree burn to the right foot and was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 445110)
Employee 1 was investigating a gas odor. While employee 1 was checking the equipment, a gas explosion occurred, resulting in a fire that burned the employee's face. Employee 2 entered the area and a second explosion occurred, causing burns to their face and arms. Employee 2 was hospitalized.
An employee tripped while walking from one store register station to another. Her forehead struck a register, and she suffered fractures to two vertebrae in her neck. She was hospitalized.
An employee was stocking and ordering the meat case on the sales floor when he slipped and fell due to water on the floor. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured ankle and required surgery.
An employee was working to remove a product blockage from a piece of equipment. The employee was struck by a metal bar near the deck of the pin mixer equipment and sustained blunt force trauma to the torso.
An employee was moving a rack onto a lower conveyor in the south heat treat area when their finger got caught between the part tray and the rollers, resulting in a fingertip fracture and amputation.
An employee was climbing a ladder to get on top of the breakroom. The ladder slipped, causing him to fall to the ground. The employee sustained fractures to his upper back, left foot, and ankle.
Two employees were removing a circuit breaker. The injured employee was using wrenches in the removal process. One of the wrenches contacted an adjacent door, resulting in an arc flash. The employee suffered burns to their neck, face, and ear, as well as momentary vision loss due to the flash.
An employee bent over to pick up a rubber mat from the ground. When he grabbed the corner of the mat, a rattlesnake hidden under it bit his left middle finger near the first knuckle. He was hospitalized.