OSHA alert ups ante on amputation hazards at food plants
OSHA says the number of severe injury reports (SIRs) from meat, poultry, and other food/beverage makers is “alarming.” Over 5,500 have been reported since January 2015. More shocking is that 46 percent involved amputations! Now the agency issued a hazard alert. OSHA urges action to bring the numbers down.
What are the numbers?
An SIR is required for a hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye. OSHA has received 5,510 SIRs from the food/beverage manufacturing industry. That was from January 2015 through July 2023. It equates to 6.5 percent of all reports to OSHA.
However, 2,546 of them involved an amputation for the industry. That’s 11.3 percent of the amputation count reported by all industries. Amputations made up over 46 percent of all SIRs from food/beverage plants since January 2015.
Amputation hazards
Like most manufacturers, food/beverage plants have work hazards. The latest alert (OSHA4407) emphasizes amputation hazards tied to machinery. Amputations can happen during normal production. Yet, they can also occur during servicing and maintenance of machines. Making machine adjustments, clearing jams, and cleaning and sanitizing machines pose a risk too. Similarly, food safety inspection and environmental testing for microbial growth can present machine amputation hazards.
Job hazard assessment is advised
OSHA suggests a food/beverage plant conduct a job hazard assessment. The idea is to understand the machine parts and their moving components. A look at how employees work with or around the machine is also recommended. The alert refers to publication OSHA3170 to help spot common amputation hazards.
You’ll note that a chart in the alert explains that two food processing machines contributed to most of the SIRs in the industry. They include food/beverage processing machinery and butchering machinery. Other hazardous machinery includes mixers, blenders, whippers, and slicers. Chain conveyors, grinders, and live-roller conveyors were also mentioned.
Lockout/tagout may be required
OSHA says employers and workers must be able to recognize the factors that lead to amputations. The alert points to hazardous energy associated with machinery. Workers can be seriously or fatally injured if a machine unexpectedly energizes, starts up, or releases stored energy. The danger may also exist when servicing, maintaining, cleaning, sanitizing, inspecting, or testing machinery.
That’s where the Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Standard at 29 CFR 1910.147 is critical. The standard addresses proper shutdown of machinery and the control of hazardous energy during maintenance or servicing. A food/beverage plant must ensure its LOTO procedures are communicated with workers. Periodic LOTO inspections are also required.
OSHA issues large and frequent fines for LOTO violations
Be aware that OSHA enforcement can come down hard on food/beverage manufacturers with LOTO violations. Section 1910.147 was the top-cited OSHA standard for the industry in fiscal year 2023, according to preliminary data. Food/beverage manufacturing also made up 16 percent of all the LOTO violations that year.
As an example, last year OSHA cited an Ohio food processor and issued $1.9M in proposed penalties. In the case, a temp worker suffered a leg amputation after falling into a blender. He was cleaning the blender and was caught in the rotating paddle augers. Twelve of the 18 proposed violations were for LOTO issues. The agency slapped each of the violations with fines of $147,325 to $156,259.
OSHA found that the company failed to train eight of its sanitation workers in LOTO. Therefore, the agency issued eight citations for 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A). Each one carried a proposed penalty of $156,259. These are called “instance-by-instance” citations.
Other things to keep in mind
Control measures are important too. The alert talks about guards that provide physical barriers. Presence-sensing devices are also listed. They prevent contact or interrupt the normal cycle of a machine. In addition, the alert draws attention to:
- Implementing safety practices as a core value;
- Communicating with workers so they feel empowered to report safety concerns and hazards;
- Training workers to understand their job hazards;
- Ensuring younger and inexperienced workers receive proper instruction and oversight; and
- Communicating LOTO programs and employer responsibilities with contractors and staffing agencies.
Don’t forget about child labor regulations
OSHA also explains that child labor regulations at 29 CFR 570.61 prohibit workers under age 18 from:
- Most jobs in meat and poultry slaughtering, processing, rendering, and packing facilities; and
- Using, cleaning, oiling, setting up, adjusting, or repairing certain machines in the food processing industry.
Key to remember
An OSHA hazard alert sounds the alarm bells regarding amputation hazards associated with food/beverage manufacturing machinery. The alert suggests conducting job hazard analyses and using LOTO. It also recommends sufficiently training workers.
