A New York factory worker had his right hand get mangled in the grinder on his work shift last month. Media reports indicate that the man was maimed on the job at Brooklyn’s Flaum Appetizing.
The worker was feeding fish into the grinder, which caused him to have to start and stop the machine several times and take the cover off. When he checked it the last time, he left it running and his hand got caught up in the processor.
A spokesperson for the New York City Fire Department reported that the 40-something man was listed in stable condition at Elmhurst Hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening traumatic injuries.
Flaum Appetizing produces kosher foods and hummus. They were in the news four years ago after they were forced by the court to pay $577,000 to 20 former employees as settlement for litigation filed in 2008 over back wages.
The workers were let go after participating in a protest over the working conditions and unpaid wages at the factory in Williamsburg, the New York Times reported.
It’s not known whether the working conditions contributed to this worker’s loss of his hand or not.
Companies have a duty to provide safe working environments for their employees. This can mean the physical conditions of the plant itself, but also includes providing all employees with proper training in the language that they understand so they know how to safely operate all machinery they may use on the job.
A safe working environment can mean that workers are provided with the necessary safety equipment that will reduce or eliminate dangerous accidents and exposures.
If your workplace conditions contributed to your accident, you can learn the legal remedies that are available to you for compensation.
Source: Daily Mail, “Worker loses his hand after it gets stuck in a grinder at a Brooklyn food factory as he loaded fish into the machinery,” Myriah Towner, Nov. 26, 2016