Frito-Lay, Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Apr 8, 2020: Employee's finger is amputated by mixing equipment

At 4:00 p.m. on April 8, 2020, an employee was working as a laborer for a firm that made snack foods. He was putting together an industrial size dough mixer. The mixing equipment was being changed over so that honey could be infused into the mixing equipment to be mixed in with the product. The employee did not stop and lock out the equipment. The employee removed the blinding cap from the mixer so that a hose could be attached for infusing honey into the mixer. The employee forgot to attach the hose that transports the honey into the mixer. He noticed dough coming out of the hole on the mixer where he was supposed to attach the hose. He pushed the dough back into the hole with his left little finger. His finger went in the hole more than he anticipated, and the mixing auger inside the mixer amputated his finger. He was hospitalized.

Incident on Mar 19, 2017: Employee is burned by caustic solution while cleaning indust

At 10:30 a.m. on March 19, 2017, Employee #1 was working for a manufacturer of snack foods. He was the group leader in a group of three sanitation workers. He and his two coworkers were performing the sanitation procedure on a potato chip fryer (PC fryer) that was part of a potato chip processing line. During the sanitation procedure, the system had to go through a boil-out process. To start, the employees drained the oil from the system and added a cleaning solution of a hot caustic cleaner and water. The caustic cleaner was HD Plusfoam VF1 and Resource. It contained sodium hydroxide. The system was controlled through a computer system that should have automatically set the required temperature of 88 degrees Celsius (190 degrees Fahrenheit) for the boil-out process. The temperature was maintained in the heat exchanger system by allowing steam through an automated control valve. This valve was a Fisher Type 667 diaphragm actuator, with Serial Number 12042066. The valve was not isolating correctly. It had to be opened manually by the maintenance department. The boil out process took approximately 3 to 4 hours. About 1 hour into the boil-out process, the workers noticed that the temperature was fluctuating above 93 degrees Celsius (200 degrees Fahrenheit), as displayed on a computer screen. When the first coworker saw that the temperature was getting up to 110 degrees Celsius (230 degrees Fahrenheit), he attempted to shut everything off in an attempt to lower the temperature. He noticed that the boil-out system had lost about half of the water that was circulating through it due to boiling off and overflowing. He observed that a lot of steam was coming out from the PC fryer. Employee #1 was walking by, when his two coworkers informed him that the boil-out process was getting too hot. Employee #1 and the first coworker went on a platform on the north side of the PC fryer to check the computer screen for the system. At about 10:20 a.m., steam pressure from the excessive heat in the system caused a panel for the fryer fines removal system to blow open. The fryer fines removal system was on the south side of the PC fryer. The hot water and chemical mixture blew out and flew over the PC fryer. The mixture landed on Employee #1 and the first coworker. They had stepped off the platform when they had heard the noise of the incipient eruption. They were only about a meter, or a couple of feet, from the fryer, when they were splashed. The first coworker had personal protective equipment that included a raincoat that mostly protected her from the hot cleaning solution. Employee #1 was not wearing any personal protective equipment. He was burned by the hot liquid on his back. He sustained second and third degree burns to his scalp, neck, posterior torso, and upper extremities on his left hand side. He was hospitalized. extremities on his left hand side. He was hospitalized.

Incident on Feb 3, 2017: Employee looses control of truck and injures toe

At 8:53 a.m. on February 3, 2017, an employee was driving an industrial truck in a warehouse. The employee drove through a puddle of water. The puddle was due to a leaky roof and heavy rains. The employee lost control of the truck and ran into a product storage rack. The employee's left foot toe was detached. The end of the toe was shattered and there was nerve damage. The toe was reattached. was reattached.

Incident on Jul 16, 2010: Employee's finger tip is amputated in running machine

On July 16, 2010, Employee #1, a packing worker, was changing over a line from o ne type of chip to another on a conveyor. He turned the line off to clean it and then had to stand on his toes to reach the handle to pull it back down into the "on" position. Right after turning it on, he lost his balance and started to fa ll. He reached out with his left hand to catch himself and amputated his pinky f ingertip.

Incident on Oct 5, 2010: Employee's finger is amputated when caught by machine jaws

At approximately 8:00 a.m. on October 05, 2010, Employee #1, who had been a regu lar, fulltime employee for 15 years, was working for his employer, a nonunionize d snack manufacturer that employed 30,000 employees. Using his right hand, Emplo yee #1 was trying to clear a jammed plastic film from the jaws of a bag-making m achine (Woodman Polaris Bag Maker; Model/Serial Number PLBA125LN0534691). The ja ws closed, and his right middle finger was caught between the jaws and amputated . Employee #1 required surgery.

Incident on May 17, 2010: Employee trips at work

Employee #1 fell at work, but sustained no injury.

Incident on Jul 30, 2009: Employee's foot is crushed while operating forklift

At about 6:35 a.m. on July 30, 2009, Employee #1 was operating a stand-up forkli ft (Crown Number 34, Model Number RC 3020, Serial Number 1A172085). As she was m aking a left turn to scan the load, she realized that she was too close a yellow post and tried to stop the forklift. Her left foot was crushed between the post and the rear of the forklift. Employee #1 was hospitalized for fractures.

Incident on May 3, 2009: Employee's hand comes in contact with airlock blades

On May 3, 2009, Employee #1 was performing a decrumb cleaning operation at the S un Chips Hammer mill. With the airlock running, the employee reached in to remov e a piece of debris. His right hand made contact with the rotating airlock blade s. Employee #1 sustained an avulsion injury and was not hospitalized.

Incident on Jun 30, 2009: Mechanic repairing machine fractures foot

At approximately 7:00 p.m. on June 30, 2009, a worker was employed by a company that manufactured snack foods. The worker was troubleshooting a packaging machin e (Douglas Universal Auto Case Packer, Model UACP, and Serial Number M-408150). He needed to repair the "flap retrieval fingers", which did not open or close. T he power on the machine had to be "ON" in order to troubleshoot the problem. The interlock switch was by-passed by using a magnet to keep the power "ON." A cowo rker was on the control, and he asked the worker to push the "flap retrieval fin gers" assembly up with his hand. As he was pushing the assembly up, the machine moved and his left foot got caught between the carriage and the "box pusher", ca using multiple fractures to his foot. The worker required surgery and hospitaliz ation for two days.

Incident on May 7, 2009: Employee's toes are amputated by truck gate

At approximately 8:00 a.m. on May 7, 2009, Employee #1, a full-time route sales representative, was working at a grocery store. Employee #1 was on the lift gate of his delivery truck, loading a cart into the truck. While he was raising the lift gate to level it with the truck bed, his right foot was caught between the lift gate and the truck bed. Employee #1's second and third toes were amputated, and he was hospitalized. The employer's regional safety manager reported the in cident to the Santa Rosa District Office on May 13, 2009.

Incident on Aug 22, 2008: Employee lacerates finger in rotating auger

On August 22, 2008, an employee, a waste treatment operator, used a wire to clea r starch buildup from around a rotating auger. The auger caught the wire and lac erated the left middle finger. The employee was not hospitalized.

Incident on Feb 27, 2008: Employee's finger makes contact with auger; is amputated

At approximately 8:40 p.m. on February 27, 2008, Employee #1 was operating a cor nmeal blender (Model Number V700 Vertical Blender, RD Machine). While checking t he moisture in the cornmeal, the employee lost balance and fell. As she tried to catch herself, her right index finger contacted the moving auger and was amputa ted. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Incident on Sep 30, 2007: Employee fractures ankle in slip and fall

At approximately 12:00 p.m. on September 30, 2007, Employee #1 was inspecting ch ips in the attempt to assure quality snacks in packaging. Employee #1 was walkin g towards the machine and she did she stepped on a single Tostitos chip on floor . Employee #1's foot slid under her causing her to fall onto the cement floor. E mployee #1 suffered a fractured left ankle. Employee #1 was treated but was not hospitalized.

Incident on Feb 27, 2005: Employee's fingers are amputated in corn flour hopper

On February 27, 2005, a sanitation employee was assisting a coworker in the clea ning of a corn flour hopper. The coworker accidently dropped a scrubber pad, and it fell down into a rotary valve. The employee reached in to retrieve the scrub ber pad as the valve rotated. The employee sustained partial amputation to the i ndex and middle fingers. He was not hospitalized.

Incident on Jul 16, 2003: Employee is injured when hand crushed by conveyor rollers

At 9:50 p.m. on July 16, 2003, Employee #1, a material handler employed on the " B" Shift of a snack food company, sustained a severe crushing injury to the left hand when he intentionally used his hand to dislodge a cardboard product box th at had become stuck between the end of a conveyor belt and the proximal edge of a stationary non-powered roller. Employee #1 was surgically treated at the San A ntonio Medical Center. Treatment consisted of musculoskeletal and dermal reconst ruction of the hand.

Incident on Mar 8, 2003: Employee injured while performing maintenance

At approximately 12:15 p.m. on March 8, 2003, Employee #1, a maintenance packing technician for a corn chip manufacturing facility, was performing maintenance o n an Apex bagging machine (Make: Ishida Corporation; Model Number: 201). The mai ntenance being performed involved adjusting and servicing a moving flat belt. Fo r some reason, Employee #1's left pinky finger became caught in the belt. He was hospitalized and treated for a severed pinky finger at the first digit.

Incident on Jul 17, 2001: Employee loses finger while removing carton from box drop

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on July 17, 2001, Employee #1, a carton handler, ampu tated his left index finger at the second joint as he removed half of an old car dboard carton from the left side of box drop (elevator Number E14) located on th e mezzanine level of the plant. When Employee #1 removed the carton, the box dro p moved to its top most position, amputating his finger between the leading edge of the box drop and a metal support bar. Employee #1 was transported to Loma Li nda University Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Incident on Jun 6, 2001: Employee injured when caught between vat and sheet metal

At approximately 1:00 p.m. on June 6, 2001, Employee #1 was trying to get the at tention of a coworker regarding the status of his line as he was returning from lunch. Unaware of her location relative to a moving vat of soaking corn, her rig ht lower leg became caught between the opening of the moving vat and sheet metal on the corn transfer tank entry port. The sheet metal lacerated her right calf from back to front before the moving vat was stopped. Several employees assisted in removing the vat. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital where she was hospitalized for 6 days.

Incident on Dec 9, 2000: Employee injured when hand caught in conveyor tail pulley

Employee #1 was seriously injured when his right hand was caught in a nip point of the conveyor belt and the conveyor's tail pulley. Employee #1 was not hospita lized.

Incident on May 23, 1999: Employee's fingers amputated by salter auger on chip fryer

Employee #1, of Frito-Lay, Inc., was the fryer operator in the potato chip depar tment. He was preparing to start the chip fryer but while assembling the salter he could not find the drain plug for the waste salter auger. He was reaching und er the drain to check for the plug when the running auger amputated his left mid dle and ring fingers at the first joint.

Incident on Jan 15, 1999: Employee's thumb amputated between rollers

At 7:00 a.m., Employee #1 reported for work at a tortilla chip processing line t hat used a Casa Herrara, Inc., oven and conveyor system, model #TCH1039, serial #98011473. Line #2 was down for a change over of product. When the line was read y to start, Employee #1 noticed some spoiled corn matter on the rollers and also that some of the roller bands were defective. She dumped the bad corn, and a co worker replaced the defective bands. Employee #1 washed the rollers of the sheet er, cleaned the rollers with a scrapper, and rinsed the rollers, before removing the lockout from the equipment. She then started the sheeter so that she could see if the rollers were clean. She noticed some debris on the rollers and, witho ut reinstating lockout procedures, opened the back and top guard to gain access to the rollers. The top of the rollers was approximately 75 in. from the floor a nd set back approximately 20 in. from the frame. To gain access to the in-runnin g nip point, she used a four-legged metal stool. She was standing on the stool w hen she inadvertently dropped the scrapper above the two in-running rollers. She reached for it with her right hand at the same time that she tried to deactivat e the sheeter with her left hand by opening a guard that was equipped with an in terlocked part. Employee's #1 right thumb became caught between the two in-runni ng rollers and was amputated.

Incident on May 4, 1998: Employee loses finger after shutting it in a door

On May 4, 1998, Employee #1 was injured while operating a bag machine. She appar ently shut her finger in a door she was shunting on the equipment. Employee #1 s uffered an avulsion type injury to the distal phalanx of her third finger. As a result, her finger was amputated.

Incident on Feb 27, 1998: Employee injured in forklift fall

Employee #1 backed a Walkie forklift (Crown, E type, Model 20WRTL, Serial Number WI30097, maximum 2000 lbs), out of a truck trailer, when the forklift struck th e edge of the dock plate. This caused the forklift to slip, tip over, and fall o n Employee #1, who was seriously injured. He was hospitalized for fractures.

Incident on Aug 6, 1997: Employee injured when forklift strikes concrete crash post

At approximately 8:30 p.m. on August 6, 1997, Employee #1 was operating a Crown electric forklift in reverse. He was turning down an aisle to retrieve a pallet when the forklift went out of control. Employee #1 tried unsuccessfully to plug the vehicle by using the forward switch to assist in the braking, and he was thr own forward when the forklift struck a concrete crash post. Employee #1 became p inned between the lift and the post, fracturing his pelvis.

Incident on May 1, 1994: Employee's fingers injured when caught by tail pulley

At approximately 4:10 a.m. on May 1, 1994, Employee #1, of Frito-Lay, Inc., was picking up spilled potatoes from the floor and placing them onto a moving convey or belt when his left hand was caught in an unguarded tail pulley. The employee sustained a serious injury to two fingers and was transported to Memorial Hospit al, Bakersfield, where he was admitted for treatment.

Incident on Apr 14, 1994: Burn - electrical fault in switchboard

An employee of a snack food manufacturing company was assisting employees of a c ontractor performing infrared inspection of switchboards, panelboards, and elect rical cabinets. The snack food employee, who was not wearing electrical protecti ve equipment, had opened the left side of the roll-up door on a switchboard (ide ntified as SWBD-DSA). With a flathead screwdriver in his left hand, he then loos ened a screw on the right side of the switchboard one quarter turn. While he was holding the door open with his right hand and using the screwdriver in his left hand, an electrical fault occurred in the switchboard. (It was theorized that t he fault occurred as a result of the screwdriver slipping into contact with the circuit breaker buses.) The employee sustained serious burns to his right hand a nd flash burns to his face and eyes as a result of the ensuing electric arc. He was hospitalized for his injuries.

Incident on Mar 7, 1994: Employee's fingertip amputated by pump

Employee #1 was operating a machine that processes corn, a job he had done for 1 7 years. When the corn flow stopped, he shut off the machine and disassembled th e inlet pipe. He reached down to brush away the clogged inlet with the flat of h is hand. He felt a pinch and saw that the tip of his finger had been amputated. Apparently, the pump had not completely stopped when he reached down to clear it .

Incident on Jul 13, 1993: Employee amputates left thumb tip in hopper

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on July 13, 1993 at Frito-Lay, Inc., Employee #1 lift ed the guard from the #2 seasoner while the machine was energized. When he reach ed into the hopper to clean it, his left thumb tip was caught between the moving auger and the hopper wall. His thumb tip was amputated. Employee #1 was transpo rted to Memorial Hospital in Bakersfield, where he was treated and released.

Incident on Mar 10, 1993: Employee's leg injured in attempt to avoid collision

At approximately 3:00 a.m. on March 10, 1993, Employee #1 was operating an elect ric standup Yale forklift in the yard area. He was distracted by the paperwork t hat he was carrying because he was searching for a particular trailer. He realiz ed too late that he was too close to a highway trailer and attempted to stop by lifting his foot off the deadman control. The lift did not stop. He then attempt ed to hit the service brake and then jumped. The forklift ran over his leg and c ollided with the trailer. Employee #1 was hospitalized. Other drivers confirmed that the employee had been taught to use the service brake. To illustrate the ef fectiveness of the service brake, post-accident tests showed that the forklift s topped within 10 to 15 ft once the deadman control was lifted, but only 4 to 5 f t when the service brake was applied.

Incident on Jul 10, 1991: Employee's fingertip amputated in corn meal extruder

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on July 10, 1991, Employee #1 was starting up a BP-8 0 extruder to clean out some backed-up corn meal. The dual-screw auger was 4 1/2 in. inside a horizontal housing. Employee #1 removed a barrel and was starting to clean up the corn meal when the tip of his right middle finger was amputated in the running screws. Employee #1 was taken to San Antonio Community Hospital f or treatment. The employer had established a lockout/blockout program, and Emplo yee #1 was a well-trained, experienced worker, but the lockout procedure had not been followed. The employer was cited for a general violation of T8CCR 3314(a).

Incident on Jan 26, 1991: Employee's fingertips amputated in moving chain drive

At approximately 4:30 p.m. on January 26, 1991, Employee #1 was on a scissor lif t in the warehouse, servicing a chain drive on a belt conveyor. The disconnect s witch at the drive motor was engaged to cut off power to the conveyor, and the g uard was removed. Employee #1 cleaned, lubricated, and adjusted the chain. Befor e the chain guard was replaced, the drive was started so Employee #1 could check its adjustment. As he monitored the chain drive, the scissor lift suddenly drop ped about 5 inches. Employee #1 instinctively reached out his hand and it became caught in the moving chain drive. The tips of his left middle and index fingers were amputated. The sudden drop of the lift was caused by a hydraulic leak.