Struck by running powered equipment during maintenance, cleaning, testing · Amputations, avulsions, enucleations unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Kraft Heinz Company, 1250 W North St, DOVER, DELAWARE 19901
on — Amputations, avulsions, enucleations unspecified, affecting the Finger or thumb tip(s), nail(s).
Final narrative
An employee was adjusting the paper pouch on a filler machine and sustained a left ring fingertip amputation.
Amputation Finger or thumb tip(s), nail(s) Bottling, canning, filling machinery
On March 28, 2023, an employee was working as an arranger on a meat production line, removing bacon from the conveyor belt and arranging it on a table for packaging. The employee was taking bacon off the belt when their left middle finger was pinched in an opening between the transition plate and the conveyor belt, resulting in an amputation just above the knuckle. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was working as a chill cell helper to move the trays of meat on the rail system to and from different coolers. The employee was moving a 1500 lb. rack of meat along the overhead rail system. When the employee came to a switch (interchange), the rack fell from the overhead rail system and struck the employee who fell to the concrete ground. The employee sustained fractures to the back, pelvis and sternum.
At about 3:30 p.m. on October 1, 2019, a processing blender was changing a soft-drink-making system over from clean-in-place to production. After he broke the line, the system discharged cool water (due to condensation), then steam. He suffered first- and second-degree burns to the chest and back and was hospitalized.
A temporary employee turned off a planer machine, opened the housing, and began clearing a jam. The machine's spinning blade caught his right hand and degloved the index finger.
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.
A production sanitation employee was pre-rinsing an incline conveyor and noticed cheese stuck between the belt idler. The employee went to remove the cheese and their glove got caught and pulled their left forearm into the conveyor. The employee's arm was fractured. The machine was not locked out/tagged out at the time.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 311991)
An employee was painting a wall. They fell down three steps and landed on a plastic mop bucket and the floor. The employee was hospitalized with fractures to their right arm and right hip, and required surgery.
An employee was using an electric jack to load a pallet onto a truck when he was struck from behind by a forklift, resulting in a laceration to his right leg.
An employee was performing maintenance on a tray packer. They put a piece of cardboard down onto the belt of the tray packer and stood on the belt. The belt started, causing the employee to lose balance and fall approximately 2 feet. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured ankle and required surgery.
An employee was adding cilantro to the dicing machine when it became jammed. While clearing the jam, the blade amputated approximately 1/2" to 3/4" of his right middle finger.
An employee was cleaning and sanitizing a mixer when the machine was activated. The employee's hand was caught in the machine and he sustained the amputation of his right hand. The employee was hospitalized.
A flagger was directing traffic flow in a highway work zone. They were standing approximately 1.5 feet behind the shoulder's demarcating line, next to and slightly behind a traffic drum. As they were directing traffic into and out of the driveway of a parking lot, a car attempted to get around a truck and struck the traffic drum, which subsequently struck the employee, who was thrown 15 feet and landed on top of concrete aggregate. The employee suffered pelvic and rib fractures, T10 and L3 vertebra fractures, and internal bleeding.
An employee was troubleshooting a power washer in the field. Because there might have been water in its fuel, he brought it back to the shop and drained about a gallon of fuel from the tank into a plastic container. Some of the fuel spilled onto the floor and ignited. The employee was stomping out the fire when he lost his balance and tripped into a stool, which caused the plastic container to spill more fuel onto the fire. The employee's pants and shirt caught on fire, and he fell, abrading his knee while trying to get through the flames. As well as the knee abrasion, he suffered burns to the left leg and left lower quadrant of the torso. He was hospitalized.
An employee was backing up a tram (towing powered industrial equipment) to connect it to a trash bin. The employee's left forearm/wrist was caught and crushed between the tram and the bin. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee went to lift a carton and tripped on a different carton that was on the floor. She fell on the floor in the backroom and sustained a fractured right hip, and abrasions to her arm and knee. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.