Maruchan Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jan 10, 2014: Employee suffers burns when splashed by hot oil

At approximately 11:20 a.m. on January 10, 2014, Employee #1 and a coworker, pro duction mechanics, were conducting a routine flavor change on production line #E , which involved shutting down the process equipment and reducing the oil temper ature by turning off the steam flow through the heat exchange unit and the oil p ump. The shut-off valve for the steam line was located at the top of the piping system and is accessed using portable stairs while the shut-off valve for the oi l pump is located near floor level. As Employee #1 was descending the stairs, an air bubble that had developed in the oil in the heat exchange unit caused some of the hot oil to spew out the top of the filter container, splashing on the emp loyee. Employee #1 used his arms to cover his face as he was splashed with the h ot oil. The employee was transported to an area hospital, where he was treated f or second and third degree burns to his arm, hands and chest. Employee #1 was ho spitalized for ten days and received multiple skin graft surgeries.

Incident on Oct 26, 2010: Worker amputates fingertip on conveyor chain

On October 26, 2010, an employee had been assigned by his primary employer, a te mporary personnel agency, to work at his secondary employer, a manufacturer soup -in-a-cup products. He was employed as a line operator, and he had worked at the secondary employer's facility for three months. On the day of the accident, the line had stopped to change flavors. The employee was inspecting the conveyor sy stem, and he had removed several rollers. When he put his hand into the machiner y to remove what he believed was a damaged part, the fourth digit of his right h and was caught by a moving chain. His fingertip was crushed. The injury resulted in surgery and the amputation of the fingertip.

Incident on Jan 7, 2005: Employee's finger is amputated by mixer blade

On January 7, 2005, Employee #1 was working for a dry noodle soup manufacturer o n Dough Machine Line Number B, manufactured by OTAKE. The flour is mixed with wa ter and other ingredients in a mixer on top of a hopper, which drops a controlle d amount of moist flour onto a pair of horizontally rotating rollers. At the bot tom of the hopper, a pair of moving blades converges into the nip-point of the i n-running rollers. These blades control the amount of material being dropped on the rollers and help to push this material into the rollers. These rollers and t he moving blades were guarded with a hinged Plexiglas cover. Employee #1 noticed a large clump of moist flour that was not being pushed into the rollers. He ope ned the Plexiglas cover and tried to push this clump with his right hand, while the machine was in normal operation. Employee #1's right middle finger was caugh t between a roller and a moving blade on top of this roller and about .5 in. of his finger was amputated. He was treated in the emergency room and was not hospi talized.

Incident on Aug 5, 2004: Employee crushes three fingers in machinery

On August 5, 2004, Employee #1 was working on Auto Caser Line, Number C, between the bundling unit and the wrapping unit. The Auto Caser Line was a multi-unit a utomated assembly line manufactured by Mitsubishi. At the time of this accident, Employee #1 was watching the bundles coming out of the bundling unit when she n oticed a packet, which got stuck in the 90-degree turn section of the conveyor. She reached under the Plexiglas cover to pull it out, when her right hand was ca ught in the nip point created by a metal cleat on the conveyor belt and a fixed part on the side near the 90-degree turn of the conveyor. Employee #1's middle, ring, and little fingers on her right hand were crushed. A surgery was required, and she was hospitalized for 2 days.

Incident on Mar 25, 2004: Machine operator amputates finger while operating a lever

At approximately 11:00 p.m. on March 25, 2004, Employee #1, a machine operator f or Remedy Temp Inc., was working for a secondary employer, Maruchan Inc., in Irv ine, CA. The secondary employer manufactured noodles. He was operating a machine in the frying room of the old plant area at the job site. Employee #1 suffered partial amputation of his left thumb while operating a machine lever. The lever was located 33 in. above the floor and adjacent to several chains and sprockets, which were located 49 in. above the floor. Normally, when the lever was moved a metal plate opened to release food debris to a tray below, in order to prevent debris mixing with food product. Employee #1 was hospitalized due to his injury.

Incident on Dec 5, 2003: Employee finger is amputated by sprocket chain

On December 5, 2003, Employee #1, a machine operator for a oriental food manufac turer, sustained amputation of the index, middle, and ring fingers. Employee #1 was leaning into the noodles feeder machine of line D, removing jammed dough fro m the roller feeder when he felt a tug. Employee #1 tried to grab hold for balan ce and accidentally grabbed the moving sprocket chain, amputating three fingers on his right hand in the nip point of the sprocket chain drive. Employee #1 was hospitalized and treated for his injuries.

Incident on Mar 19, 2000: Employee amputated three fingers when caught in machinery

At approximately 5:00 a.m. on March 19, 2000, an employee opened the Consomme Fe eder Machine to check the amount of consomme powder left in the feeder. He tried to push the powder down the outlet of this machine with his left hand while the power was still on. With the lid off, the rotating blade inside had stopped. Wh ile he was sweeping excess powder into the outlet, with his left hand, the blade started turning and his hand got caught between the outlet hole and the blade. As a result, three of his fingers were amputated. He was treated at Irvine Medic al Center.

Incident on Jun 26, 1996: Employee's fingers injured in soup feeder machine

Employee #1 worked for a company that prepared and packaged dry noodle soup. The powdery flavoring mix was fed by a soup feeder machine and packaged into separa te small packets, using an automated process. On June 26, 1996, Employee #1 was cleaning this machine when his gloved right hand became caught between the movin g, propeller-like, mixing blade and the outlet hole at the bottom of this cylind rical equipment. His index finger was amputated and his middle finger sustained severe lacerations. Employee #1 freed his hand and was taken to Irvine Medical C enter for treatment. While he was cleaning the machine, the power had either lef t on or it was turned back on inadvertently.

Incident on Jan 23, 1993: Employee's fingers injured when caught in noodle rollers

At about 9:55 p.m. on January 23, 1993, Employee #1 tried to feed a sheet of noo dle into the rolls of a noodle making machine. He pulled the sheet of noodle har d and it broke, causing his right hand to contact the unguarded in-running rolls . He sustained crushing injuries to the four fingers, which resulted in the ampu tation of the middle finger. He was taken to Irvine Medical Center for treatment and hospitalization. The employer is being cited for the violation of T8CCR 418 7(a), failure to install a fixed or self-adjusting protection across the in-runn ing side of the rolls, arranged so that the material can be fed without permitti ng the fingers to be caught in the rolls.

Incident on Jan 27, 1991: Employee breaks 4 fingers and arm while cleaning mixer

AT ABOUT 4 AM ON JANUARY 27, 1991, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CLEANING A FLOUR MIXER WHEN H IS RIGHT HAND WAS CAUGHT IN THE SPROCKET AND CHAIN DRIVE, RESULTING IN 4 BROKEN FINGERS AND A FRACTURED ARM. HE WAS TAKEN TO WESTERN MEDICAL CENTER-TUSTIN. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN EMPLOYEE #1 REMOVED THE GUARD FROM THE SPROCKET AND CHAIN DRIVE AND STARTED CLEANING IT WITH A VACUUM WHILE THE MACHINE WAS RUNNING. HE U SED A FLEXIBLE HOSE ATTACHMENT WITHOUT A NOZZLE SO THAT THE HOSE HAD TO BE HELD CLOSE TO THE SPROCKET AND CHAIN DRIVE WITH HIS RIGHT HAND. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCI DENT WAS THE EMPLOYEE'S FAILURE TO SHUT OFF THE MACHINE BEFORE CLEANING IT. TO P REVENT RECURRENCE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE EMPLOYER WILL HOLD A LOCKOUT/BLOCKOUT PRO GRAM.