OSHA Inspection: H & M FOOD SYSTEMS

Issued

Oct 30, 1998

Abate by

Nov 24, 1998

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $4,500

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1)of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which is free from recognized
hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that: a) The
pizza grinding room where employees were cleaning large food processing
blenders.
Employees were exposed to the hazard of having parts of their bodies
crushed, lacerated, or
amputated by the auger blades. Feasible and useful methods of abatement,
among other
methods, would be to follow the manufacturers manual, for safe operation
which includes the
following: 1) When cleaning the blender it should be disconnected and the
power locked out,
before cleaning the inside of the blender. 2) Employees should not climb
or reach inside the
blender drum. Cleaning should be done from outside the drum using high
pressure spray. To
make sure personnel understand, and are observing these warnings,
management should
review with the cleaning workers safe job work procedures as an integral
part
of the overall
review of the equipment operating instruction.