Amputations

An employee was cleaning parts for the Piab system (pneumatic transfer system for raw materials) using sani-wipes as part of the allergen clean process on the bar line. Parts were stored on a cleaning cart along the side of the bar line room away from the production line. The cleaning process includes cleaning two rod magnets. Six magnetic rods of varying lengths are arranged in parallel with 1" spacing between each rod. The rods are connected by brackets to form a singular circular magnet approximately 13" in diameter. During an earlier shift, the two rod magnets got stuck together. The employee attempted to separate the two magnets with his hands. During this process, the magnets shifted and pinched the tip of his left middle finger. When the employee jerked his hand away from the magnets, his fingertip was amputated.