 | Read the full story at ProFood World: Burrito Plant Death Calls for Safety Shift, Experts Say |
Tragedy struck on July 13th at a Tina's burrito factory in Vernon, California, when a 19-year-old man died while cleaning an industrial food processor.
Local police told ABC7 that the processor unexpectedly activated while the man cleaned, though it's unclear what caused the machine to turn on or what precautions were in place to prevent such an accident.
Workplace accidents can occur too frequently, with a few common factors companies need to consider, according to Curtis Chambers, president of OSHA Training Services. Chambers says incidents like this often come down to two issues; either the employer didn't implement adequate lockout/tagout procedures for equipment maintenance and servicing, or those procedures were in place, but there wasn't adequate training for one or more employees.
A proactive safety culture is essential to ensure such systems and training are in place, according to Patrice Williams-Lindo, management consultant and CEO at Career Nomad. Williams-Lindo says technology is only as safe as the policies around it, and promotes a focus on worker protection and empowerment over efficiency.
A tragic incident like this should be completely preventable, says Will Pemberton, personal injury attorney at Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm. Pemberton points out that accidents like this can not only result in financial and legal consequences for companies, but also lasting trauma for employees. Like Williams-Lindo, he says it's up to each industry to protect its employees with proactive planning.
Read the full article at ProFood World for further insights on how to protect workers in food processing.
