Food producer cited in worker’s partial finger amputation
Reprints
A national food producer is facing $222,779 in proposed fines after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said a failure in workplace safety procedures led to a seasonal worker’s partial finger amputation at a Wisconsin cannery.
OSHA on Tuesday announced citations against Walnut Creek, California-based Del Monte Foods Inc. for two repeated and six serious safety violations of machine safety and fall protection standards.
The citations stem from an incident at the company’s Plover, Wisconsin, cannery in which a 20-year-old worker suffered a partial finger amputation after attempting to unjam an unguarded palletizer machine.
An exact date of the injury was not provided by OSHA.
OSHA said the company’s lack of machine guarding and safety procedures exposed employees to machine hazards.
Inspectors said workers were not properly trained to recognize or safely control hazardous energy sources during the unjamming process.
OSHA also accused the company of failing to install handrails and anti-slip coatings that help to prevent workers from falling on ladderways and stairs.
Del Monte Foods, one of the country’s largest food retailers, has 15 days to contest the citations.
