SAFETY ALERTRecently, an 18-year-old member of UFCW Local No. 700 suffered a brutal injury. Her right hand was amputated while cleaning a HOBART meat grinder (Model #4632A) at Kroger in Wabash, Indiana. The incident is currently under investigation by the Indiana Department of Labor. However, we know several things about the injury and want to ALERT ALL Retail Local Unions to them. 1. Meat grinders that lack interlock systems that shuts off when the lid is lifted are dangerous. THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM OUR STORES. 2. The meat grinder plug was high on the wall behind the machine, virtually out of reach, the only sure way to prevent accidental start-up while cleaning. 3. The cleaning of this machine was being done by a young high school student with no experience in the Meat Department of the store. Her only job is to clean various pieces of equipment around the store in the evening. We believe she was not properly trained. Send your Union Representatives into the stores you represent with the attached Survey to determine if the meat grinder currently in use has built-in safeguards. If you have any questions, please contact the International’s Occupational Safety and Health Department. UFCW News Service
|