OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221446222
INTELLIGENT BLENDS, L.P.
SAN DIEGO, CA·
Event description
Employee Injures Hand While Unjamming Stick Pack Machine
Investigation abstract
At 8:00 a.m. on October 18, 2021, an employee was assisting a coworker with a caught in the machine which unexpectedly closed on the employee's right hand. The employee's hand was caught in the two pneumatic-actuated knives, amputating her right ring and right middle fingers. The employee was not hospitalized but did require hand surgery for these injuries. Although the employee turned off the machine before opening the interlocked doors, the employee did not de-energize, lock-out or tag-out the machine. The coworker who requested the employee's assistance was vacuuming 25-30 feet away from the employee and did not directly observe the incident. Viking Masek, Model ST800, Serial #4386 stick pack machine at a food manufacturing plant for coffee and tea products. The stick pack machine pours instant ground coffee, tea, dry creamer and/or sugar mixes into film which is cut and sealed into small sleeve stick pouch containers. The employee was a stick pack machine operator on a different line but was called over by a coworker to assist with a machine at that was not functioning properly and spilling ground coffee onto the floor. The employee opened the interlocked doors and guards on the stick pack machine and attempted to unjam the plastic film
Victim
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#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 48 F
- Event type
- 1
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