The unfortunate incident occurred while a sanitation worker was trying to loosen some jammed equipment.  It suddenly reactivated while the employee was still working on it. This resulted in a fingertip being amputated as well as a fractured finger. A Lakewood, New Jersey ice cream manufacturer called Mister Cookie Face LLC is the owner of the malfunctioning machine and employer.

In a statement delivered last November 19, OSHA officials disclosed that the company’s penalty was assessed at $103,476. There were multiple violations cited by OSHA in their news release:

  • Failure to lockout machinery to preclude accidental reactivation while repairing
  • Lack of safety gear for employees
  • Absence of eyewash area when using corrosive materials
  • Hazardous exposure of employees to bloodborne pathogens

OSHA Marlton Area Office Director Paula Dixon-Roderick said, “This injury could have been avoided with worker training and the use of lockout/tagout procedures.”

A grace period of 15 business days was given to the company for compliance with the decision. Any questions may be directed to the OSHA Area Director. It may also seek to appeal the verdict to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Mister Cookie Face LLC is a subsidiary of Fieldbrook Foods, Inc. It is a company based in Dunkirk, New York that offers private labelling solutions for their ice cream products.