OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14551386
J. R. SIMPLOT COMPANY - FOOD DIVISION
HEYBURN, ID·
Event description
Employee dies when caught in rotating shaft
Investigation abstract
Employee #1 was sorting potato vines from the tubers as they moved along a conve a 40 horsepower motor and was rotating at approximately 300 rpm. yor belt. An incline belt moved the potatoes up from the washing area and dumped them onto the sorting belt. Employee #1 was removing vines that had clogged the intersection where the two belts met at a 90 degree angle. She apparently leane d over the sorting belt and was reaching around the end of the incline belt to g et to the vines when her jacket came in contact with the incline belt's prime sh aft. Employee #1's jacket and blouse wrapped around the shaft, which extended ou t 5 1/2 in., and pulled her into it. Her clothing twisted around her neck, break ing it. She died three days later. The 2 2/3 in. unguarded shaft was powered by
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 41 F
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 20
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 27
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 2
- Task assigned
- 1
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