US Teenage cleaner fatally sucked into meat grinder at California factory for popular frozen burrito brand

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A teenager was sucked into a meat grinder and killed Sunday when the machine suddenly turned on while he was cleaning it at a California factory for a popular frozen burrito brand.


The unidentified 19-year-old victim was working at Tina’s Burritos food processing plant in Vernon, as part of the after-hours sanitation crew, when the deadly mishap occurred, according to the Vernon Police Department.

Tina's Burrito Factory loading dock with semi-trucks.
A 19-year-old sanitation worker got caught in a meat grinder when it suddenly turned on while he was cleaning it at a Tina’s Burritos food processing plant in Vernon, California. Google Maps
He was cleaning the meat grinder when it somehow activated and sucked him inside at around 9:30 p.m., VPD Sgt. Daniel Onopa told 6abc.


Other workers said they heard the teen shouting for help as they tried to turn off the machine, but couldn’t.


Authorities rushed to the scene, but found the 19-year-old dead inside the grinder.
 
I'm guessing someone didn't LOTO
Sounds like someone needs to be investigated for OSHA violations, then.

ETA: Another article said they are cooperating with OSHA on this. (archive)

"This is a devastating loss for everyone at Tina’s. We are cooperating fully with local authorities and Cal/OSHA in the ongoing investigation, and our focus remains on honoring his life, supporting those who are grieving, and maintaining the highest safety standards in our facility," the statement concluded.
 
"teenage cleaner"

Because "undocumented laborer" would prove Trump correct, and we can't have that.

Was this one of those times when they had the safety guard off, and didn't put it back on when cleaning for some reason?
Something was not done in the lock-out tag-out procedure chain, machines do not just "turn on" , they can only be negligently left in a state where they can be accidentally switched on.
 
"teenage cleaner"

Because "undocumented laborer" would prove Trump correct, and we can't have that.


Something was not done in the lock-out tag-out procedure chain, machines do not just "turn on" , they can only be negligently left in a state where they can be accidentally switched on.
Yeah, I know they don't just turn on. I was thinking about the time a postal worker lost his arm because of failures in safety protocol.
A mechanic employed there reportedly got an arm caught in a machine "that had a safety guard removed," the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reported Friday. As result, the arm later had to be amputated in what the DOL called a "life-changing" injury.
 
One my friend some years ago lost her job, because she refused to do exactly this, unless they unplug the machine. If I remember, it had to do with the person who was authorized to un/plug and manipulate the machine not being present at the moment, and the one who ordered her to do that, would have problems for touching it.
As it shows again, working class is one of the greatest enemies to itself.

Edit to add something, in many cases you just don't unplug a machine as if you were doin it with a concrete mixer, like, just pull the plug. It's done in a locked electrical cabinet with circuit breakers, relays and such. The key is unified, but who outside the electrical professions has those... Such machines, though, should have an e-stop or a totalstop and something tells me those were somehow disabled, or not there at all.
 
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One my friend some years ago lost her job, because she refused to do exactly this, unless they unplug the machine. If I remember, it had to do with the person who was authorized to un/plug and manipulate the machine not being present at the moment, and the one who ordered her to do that, would have problems for touching it.
As it shows again, working class is one of the greatest enemies to itself.
She should have reported it to OSHA. They actually take that shit super seriously. Employer gets a nasty letter in the mail, followed by field visits. Usually it won’t end in anything substantial beyond a warning or fine, but it will scare them into shape.
 
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