DEATH OF WORKER CAUGHT IN MEAT MACHINE PROBED

The Houston Chronicle (Associated Press) ^ | 14 June 2003

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

ROUND ROCK -- Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have launched an investigation into the death of a food plant worker caught in a meat-processing machine, authorities said. Daniel Cruz Romero, 34, was killed Friday after being caught in a meat-processing machine at Michael Angelo's Gourmet Foods, a frozen food manufacturer in northern Travis County. Romero had complained to a former co-worker he was having trouble with the machine, the Austin American-Statesman reported Saturday.

Romero's entire body went through the machine, police said. "He came to us in fragments," said Dr. Elizabeth Peacock, deputy medical examiner in Travis County. The machine is not a meat grinder but it moves meat downward to be processed further, police said. The large, bowl-shaped machine contains paddle-like arms that move in a circular motion.

"Once he was caught in it, he would have been entangled in those," said Sgt. Robert Horton of the Round Rock Police Department. "It was a gruesome scene." The top of the machine has metal grates that were open at the time of Romero's death. Sensors in the machine are supposed to detect when the lid is open to prevent the machine from turning on, Horton said. OSHA cited the manufacturer more than two years ago for more than 50 federal health and safety violations. At the time, OSHA officials said the violations could have resulted in serious injury or death.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

No way this guy should have been caught in that machine. Poor safety practices. Perhaps the company failed to adequately communicate safety to the workers? With the citations about two years ago...it seems to be the case that they haven't focused on safety. Perhaps some of these companies see the Hispanic workers as throwaway workers...

And the "...he come to us in pieces." part...eeewwwwww!

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

"...he come to us in pieces."

Makes me want to run out and buy some Michael Angelo's frozen foods.

NOT!

[tet68]

The big question is, what about the parts they missed???

[glorgau]

This is straight out of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle". Owww.

[MEG33]

They are probably equal opportunity when safety practices are not observed.This is a horrifying story.

[Bedford Forrest]

"If you like laws and sausage, you should never
watch either being made." - Otto von Bismarck

[tupac]

The plant manager and the supervisor should both be brought up on murder charges if they knew that this machine was being operated with the safety interlocks bypassed. Lawyers will soon own this company.

[templar]

The big question is, what about the parts they missed???

It's not the missed parts that would be the problem I would be concerned with. Wonder how many former workers are missing?

[Vinnie]

You don't know what he was wearing do you?

Thought I'd start checking my hamburger next week.

[visualops]

Isn't it though? I can't eat a hot dog without thinking of that lol

That said, all the safety training in the world doesn't stop people from doing dumb things, especially when they are comfortable and complacent around machines.
My ex is a commercial bread baker, and he routinely reached in and picked bits of dough out of the running mixer. The mixer blends hundreds of pounds of dough, and the turning blades could easily pull a man's arm off (I believe it's happened more than once). This also happens on the conveyor system that carries the dough through the rising process.
Years earlier he worked for a truck body manufacturer, and told me the story of a guy cut up by the sheet metal, who was wearing headphones listening to music, and couldn't hear the warnings of his co-workers. (I've never been able to find verification on that story though).

[_Jim]

The top of the machine has metal grates that were open at the time of Romero's death.

Sensors in the machine are supposed to detect when the lid is open to prevent the machine from turning on ...

OSHA cited the manufacturer more than two years ago for more than 50 federal health and safety violations.

OSHA cited the manufacturer of the machine or the food producer?

The way this story is written it's not clear ...

[Reeses]

Lawyers will soon own this company.

I agree, but that is not justice. Why do we accept organized crime? It didn't used to be that way. It isn't good for our country to have lawyers feeding off misfortune but only in cases where there is money to take.

[waterstraat]

Daniel Cruz Romero sounds mexican?

[Jhoffa_]

I can't remember the name of this maching, but we had one that was similar. It was an absolutely massive thing with catwalks around the sides and a pair of rotating, shaft mounted paddles/blades inside. As the article says, there are gates on top which would allow you to add product, but not fall [Note] COMPLETELY inside when closed.

All ours claimed during my tenure was a finger, but it certainly had the capacity to destroy an entire human being in seconds.. Not a problem.

Since you're talking about a production environment and food, everything is constantly wet & slippery.. either from product, water or sanitizer. It would take nothing to slip and kill or maim yourself in that place.

[wimpycat]

There are four words that could have prevented this whole thing, safety interlocks notwithstanding:

LOCK-OUT, TAG-OUT

If the machine isn't working properly, lock it out and fix it.

Still, it doesn't matter how often you communicate safety practices to your workers, some of them insist on "saving time" by sticking their hand in a moving machine to unjam something. We had an employee (who was properly trained) stick his arm in a machine while it was on. He knew he was supposed to hit the button to turn the damn thing off, but no, that meant he would have had to walk 2 feet. So he got his arm caught in a space about 2 inches wide. Luckily he didn't lose his arm. This prompted an OSHA inspection, of course, and we were not cited.

This guy may or may not have been properly trained. But don't automatically assume he wasn't. It often turns out that they are trained, they just think they can save a few seconds by sticking their hands/fingers/arms inside the machine.

[Balding_Eagle]

I agree, but that is not justice. Why do we accept organized crime?

Good comment

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Sometimes lawyers actually play an important role.

[strela]

Special Today: LONG PIG

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

You are wrong. If the company is at fault it shouldn't be operating anymore. Profits aren't more important than life, at least in my book anyway.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

For the sake of argument, assume that the company had a bad piece of equipment, they knew it and did nothing to fix it. What should happen now that a man has lost his life? This should be interesting.