Struck by discharged object or substance · Fractures
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Ventura Foods LLC, 485 NW Enterprise Drive, PORT SAINT LUCIE, FLORIDA 34986
on — Fractures, affecting the jaw, chin.
Final narrative
On May 18, 2022, an employee was removing an air valve when it blew back under pressure, hitting the employee in the chest and face. The employee suffered a broken jaw.
An employee was cleaning the metal detector on a packaging line. He was removing and repositioning the two-inch, metal ball valve joint when it actuated and amputated approximately one inch of their right index finger.
On February 6, 2023, an employee was working on a line, putting lids on pails of shortening. The employee noticed that a lid was not positioned properly on a pail. As the employee tried to straighten the lid, the lid press came down; the employee's left thumb was caught between the lid and the press. The employee suffered an open fracture of the last joint of the thumb, a nail avulsion, and a partial amputation.
An employee filled a 55-gallon trash can with chemicals for cleaning and attempted to move the trash can when the liquid splashed. As the employee attempted to avoid the liquid, he tripped and liquid splashed onto him, resulting in chemical burns on the right side of his torso.
An employee was trying to hook a pallet that had stopped on the conveyor belt when the long hook tripped the sensor for the automatic shuttle car. The employee was pinched between the shuttle car and the racking system, resulting in surgery for lacerations on both legs.
An employee was cleaning the exterior of a tank. While moving around the tank, the employee slipped into an uncovered trench drain 15 inches deep. The drain was clogged and full of margarine and hot water. The employee fell in a seated position with her feet in the drain. The employee was hospitalized for burns.
An employee was installing wood trim surrounding a skylight inside a home. While holding a piece of trim in it's desired location, his pneumatic nail gun discharged, sending a 3/4-inch pin nail into his left forearm.
An employee removed a safety valve on a trailer that unknowingly contained nitrogen gas. The gas released from the trailer and pushed the employee backward off a scaffold approximately 10 feet before they struck a garage door, resulting in a pelvic injury.
An employee was sitting at her workstation when a nail gun malfunctioned and shot a nail into her left leg. She suffered a puncture and blood vessel injury and was hospitalized.
On November 25, 2023, an employee was using a high-pressured water hose to perform sewer line cleaning operations. The employee's right little finger and palm were lacerated by pressurized water from the hose.
An employee was cleaning a depositor machine to setup for a new product run. His right index finger was caught by moving parts in the depositor machine and the fingertip was partially amputated without bone loss.
An employee was operating an electric pallet jack. While standing beside the equipment, the pallet jack lurched forward, pinning the employee's leg against racking. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured right ankle.
An employee was on a top stock cart, moving items on shelving on the sales floor. The employee fell and suffered a broken left ankle. The employee was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was using a walkie stacker when the merchandise on it shifted and fell onto him. He suffered a head injury and a broken left leg that required surgery. He was hospitalized.
An employee was helping a coworker transport a tall palm tree with a mini skid steer. The employee was severely shocked by a high-voltage electrical wire above the ground.
An employee was retrieving a Christmas tree from a shelf using a ladder. He missed a step and fell to the concrete floor. He sustained injury to his head and wrist.
An employee was operating an agricultural tractor during sugarcane harvesting. The employee sustained a lumbar sprain due to vibration or motion from the tractor.
An employee was moving a 3-ton condensing unit, strapped down on a dolly, out of a garage. The strap broke, causing the employee to fall backward onto the brick pavered driveway. The employee suffered injury to a spinal ligament in the neck.