Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1539508.015 - Batter Up Foods Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta West Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 10:45 a.m. on June 23, 2021, an employee was working as a commercial waffle machine operator for a food manufacturer. The employee needed to clean the batter feeding piping system on the newly installed machine (Gridler One). The site already had one operational waffle machine (Gridler Two). The employee was required to perform a CPI (cleaning in place), which was done by flushing out the batter with water. The newly installed Gridler Two was being tested to become operational and supposed to use the same batter feeding piping system as Gridler One. The employee and a coworker operating the other machine were required to clean the batter feeding piping system for Gridler Two while Gridler One was operational. The piping feeding system uses an automated flow valve which is pneumatically activated to control the amount of batter being fed to the machine. The employee and coworker had to dismantle the piping system housing the plunge valve in order to manually clean the pipes. The employee was dismantling the piping when suddenly her right index finger was struck by the valve plunger. The employee was hospitalized to treat a partially amputated finger.

Keywords: Air Pressure, Amputated, Amputation, Caught In, Cleaning, Contusion, Finger, Food processing, Instantaneous amputation, Insufficient Supervision, Lack of Work Procedures, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Machine Guarding, Machine operator, Manufacturing, Metal Pipe, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Motor, Partial Amputation, Pipe, Pneumatic, Pneumatic equipment, Pneumatic system, Pressure, Production Line, Shear, Sheared, Traumatic Amputation, Valve