Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Rastelli Brothers, Inc., 300 Heron Drive, SWEDESBORO, NEW JERSEY 08085
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was helping to disassemble a meat extrusion machine to clean it when the machine unexpectedly activated. The slicer engaged and amputated the employee's left pinky finger.
An employee was feeding plastic film through a vacuum packing machine when it jammed. As the employee was trying to clear the jam, the machine's cutting blade amputated the employee's right index fingertip.
Two employees were repairing the hydraulic engagement pins on a rented front-end wheel loader. The machine controls were activated to move the attachment pins and an employee's finger was caught between the pins and the bushings. Their right index finger was partially amputated.
An employee was cleaning the conveyor on a piece of equipment when they slipped and their right hand was pulled into the chain sprocket. The employee's fifth fingertip was amputated.
An employee was throwing blankets onto a blanket folding and stacking machine. A blanket got stuck in the machine and she attempted to remove it when the machine contacted her right little finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 424470)
An employee was grinding meat in a meat grinder when the auger caught his nitrile glove and pulled his arm into the machine. The employee sustained amputation of their left hand and arm to halfway up the forearm and required surgery. The machine was not guarded at the time of the incident.
An employee was cleaning a sheeter transfer conveyor. He was cleaning the conveyor support bars when his left hand was caught and pulled into a conveyor sprocket. He suffered a fracture, a laceration, and tendon/nerve damage to the hand and was hospitalized.
A warehouse employee was operating a forklift in the freezer area. While making a turn, the forklift slid on condensation that had accumulated on the freezer floor. The forklift struck a yellow pole that designates the exit path and the employee s left heel became caught between the forklift and the yellow pole, resulting in a heel pad avulsion, or rupture of the heel fat pad. The employee's injury required surgery and hospitalization.
An employee was installing fence posts when they stepped into a recently dug hole that was not visible due to rainfall. The employee's leg was fractured.
An employee assisted in cleaning material from a conveyor pit. After the pit was cleaned, the employee proceeded to replace metal safety plates to ensure other employees did not fall into the pit. While replacing one of the last plates, the employee mis-stepped and fell approximately 5 feet into the pit. The employee was hospitalized with back/side bruising, elbow bruising, bone bruises, and/or fractured ribs.
An employee was walking on the sidewalk. When they stepped off the curb, they fell to the ground, resulting in fractures to their tibia, fibula, and a metatarsal.