Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Cuts, lacerations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at PECO FOODS, INC., 95 COMMERCE DRIVE, BAY SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI 39422
on — Cuts, lacerations, affecting the hand(s), except finger(s).
Final narrative
At 5:50 AM, on July 6, 2022, maintenance employees were resetting the rehanger machine due to timing issues. They had staged the 'cars' away from the sensors. The injured employee held the 'cars' nearest to one of the sensors to keep them away from the sensor at startup. The injured employee then released the car frame which caught the sleeve of his coat and dragged his left hand. Due to the force of multiple 'cars' piled up, his hand was forced between the kicker and the top side of the 'car.' The 'car' lacerated his left palm as he pulled it away. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
On March 24, 2025, an employee was clearing a backed-up drain. As he was removing one of two fiberglass grates from the clogged drain, the grate slipped and fell, causing his right index finger to be crushed between the two grates. His right distal index finger was fractured and lacerated.
An employee was draining hot oil from the fryer into the floor drain and went to close the valve when they slipped and fell to the floor. They fell into hot oil that overflowed from the drain, resulting in burns to 45% of their body.
An employee was cleaning a chicken neck skinning machine when they noticed chicken skin was stuck on a piece of the machinery. The employee removed the piece of excess skin and their left index finger got caught in the equipment, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
An employee was gravity feeding a chemical cleaner from a forklift into a fryer using a hose when the hose came disconnected. The chemical sprayed onto the employee, resulting in chemical burns to their neck, back, and pelvic area.
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 112340)
On July 23, 2025, at 8:00 a.m., an employee was power washing. He went to retrieve a power-washing tip from the machine's fan while it was in operation and the fan blade contacted his right index finger, severing it at the distal joint.
An employee was pulling two separate egg racks when the wheels of the front rack locked, causing the second rack to crush his thumb between both of the racks. The employee sustained an amputation to the tip of the right thumb.
An employee was in the pump room troubleshooting a pump. He unscrewed the top panel of the pump and inadvertently hit the toggle switch that activated the pump. The internal belt caught his right index finger, causing a laceration that resulted in a partial surgical amputation.
An employee was attaching a winch hook to a chick pallet. The winch was activated via remote control and pinched the employee's left index fingertip between the hook and pallet resulting in amputation.
An employee was repairing a water pump on a lawn mower. He replaced the water pump and thermometer and then went to test drive it. The mower started running hot, so he brought it back to the shop and opened the hood on the mower. The radiator overflowed the bottle, the lid blew off, and hot coolant sprayed the employee's face, eyes, and neck. The employee was hospitalized for burns.
An employee was checking a pole-type transformer tank for leaks. A hydraulic clamping device was lowered onto his right thumb and crushed it against the sharp edge of the bottom of the tank. He suffered a partial transphalangeal amputation to the thumb.
The injured employee was standing behind a table. She jumped out to scare another employee, but tripped and fell on the tile floor, injuring her right ankle/foot. She was hospitalized with a dislocated ankle that required surgery.
An employee was going into a trailer to mark product for shipment and the trailer pulled away from the dock. The employee fell out of the trailer, contacted the dock plate, and then fell to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a punctured lung, fractured ribs, and contusions.
An employee was hooking up bundled tie-downs with a chain. While he was holding a hook, the other hook was unlocked. This caused the employee's hook to slide down and pinch his right index finger between the chain and the shackle. He suffered an amputation to the fingertip (without bone loss), as well as an open fracture.
An employee was operating a gas tugger to lift metal sheeting. His left hand was pulled into the pulley, which crushed his left thumb, resulting in avulsions and other tissue damage. He was hospitalized and required surgery.