Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at OLE MEXICAN FOODS, INC., 6585 CRESCENT DRIVE, NORCROSS, GEORGIA 30071
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
An employee was checking a flour return valve that was reported as out of position. The employee connected and disconnected the pneumatic air hose to the piston. The piston's reciprocating movement restarted and it struck the tip of the employee's right index finger, causing an amputation.
An employee was inserting corn tortillas into a corn cutting machine. The machine's air piston released and came down onto her left thumb, resulting in an amputation.
An employee was clearing an obstruction in a conveyor when his arm was pulled into the rollers of the conveyor. He suffered lacerations to the left arm and was hospitalized.
An employee was entering a trailer in a docking area when a driver moved the trailer forward and the employee fell between the dock and the trailer. The driver moved the trailer back into place and the employee became pinned, resulting in multiple fractures to their spine, pelvis, rib, and shoulder.
An employee was changing out the wire that goes onto the cutter of a corn machine. The employee's hand slipped off the wire and the wire snapped back and struck their right eye causing a puncture to the eyeball and the bottom eyelid.
An employee was positioning tortillas on a cooling conveyor belt. The machine caught and pulled on his hand, tearing a muscle in his right shoulder. He was hospitalized. The machine was guarded at the time of the incident.
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 311830)
An employee was diagnosing the cause of a rear light malfunction on a forklift when the reverse gear engaged. The forklift moved backward and contacted the employee causing a metatarsal fracture in their left foot and injury to their lower right leg.
An employee was wiping down a shredder machine while it was turned off. After she was finished cleaning, she turned the machine on when the rollers of the machine caught her fingers, resulting in amputations to her index, middle and ring fingers.
Two employees were changing fuses for a fryer. The pump on the fryer was turned off, but the heat exchanger kept running. When the pump was turned back on, hot oil shot toward the filter. The filter box opened and sprayed the two injured employees with hot grease. The employees suffered burns to their backs, shoulders, and arms.
An employee was inserting corn tortillas into a corn cutting machine. The machine's air piston released and came down onto her left thumb, resulting in an amputation.
An employee was clearing an obstruction in a conveyor when his arm was pulled into the rollers of the conveyor. He suffered lacerations to the left arm and was hospitalized.
An employee was helping to lift the grating from a floor draining system when the grating slipped and landed on his hand, resulting in the amputation of his right middle finger at the first joint.
During a workshop meeting in a hotel, an employee heard a drilling noise, so he walked outside to see what it was. An explosion occurred (possible gas line) and his face, ear, and hair were burned. He also fell and sustained a pelvic fracture.
An employee was using a tool to remove a rag from a roll on the tube mill. The roll pulled the tool and the employee's right hand into the roll, resulting in a partial amputation of the little finger and a fracture to the index finger.