Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1475061.015 - Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Modesto District Office

Investigation Summary

At 7:55 a.m. on May 8, 2020, Employee #1 was operating the Plant 4 tower area. Specifically, he was closing the door on the CL20 machine #3. Prior to the accident, the company performed routine maintenance on the machines, which included changing some of the door gaskets on the CL20 machines, including the gasket on machine #3. These gaskets were new and a little stiffer than the old gaskets, which made the doors harder to close. As the employee was attempting to close the door to machine #3, he used two hands due to the stiffness of the gasket. The employee placed his left hand on the door and his right hand on the lever. As he closed the door, he smashed his left hand between the door and the machine. Employee #1 sustained a fracture and a laceration to his left index finger. He was treated at the Work Wellness Clinic but was not hospitalized. No violations of the Title 8 Safety Orders were observed.

Keywords: Caught Between, Crushed, Door, Finger, Food processing, Fracture, Gasket, Laceration