Cargill, Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Oct 28, 1993: Employee injured when arm caught in nip point

Employee #1 was performing his new job assignment as cleanup person in an area o f a plant where loose salt was transported on conveyors. Employee #1 was cleanin g excess salt from the conveyor cover when his gloved right arm was pulled into the moving belt-tail pulley nip point up to his armpit. After being extracted fr om the machine, he was transported by ambulance to Stanford University Hospital, where he underwent multiple reconstructive hand surgeries, tissue transplant su rgeries, and the surgical amputation of his right index finger in its entirety. Employee #1 is right handed. The conveyor drive pulleys were not fully guarded. In addition, Employee #1 had received no safety instruction or training for this job assignment. Neither he nor others performing this job were informed of this hazard, nor were they informed of the function or the existence of the emergenc y stop trip wire that ran the length of the conveyor.

Incident on Dec 13, 1990: Employee burned by hot vegetable oil

Employee #1 was replacing the sealing gasket in a valve. When he removed the bo lts from the bonnet of the valve, the hot oil in the line, which was under press ure, sprayed out. He sustained burns on his neck, arms, and back as he tried to escape. Employee #1 was a maintenance mechanic with 20 years experience repairin g equipment in the refinery. The employer has an effective safety program which includes annual reviews of safety training.

Incident on Dec 13, 1990: Employee injured when struck in face by prybar

Employee #1 and a coworker were trying to remove a wooden pallet from a FMC pall etizer machine using a crowbar. The pallet was stuck and the bar became stuck. W hile Employee #1 tried to remove the pallet, it moved and released the crowbar, which struck her in her face on the left side.