06-15-2003, 02:28 PM
June 14, 2003, 1:31PM
OSHA probes death at Round Rock food plantAssociated Press
ROUND ROCK -- Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have launched an investigation into the death of a food plant worker caught in a meat-processing machine, authorities said.
Daniel Cruz Romero, 34, was killed Friday after being caught in a meat-processing machine at Michael Angelo's Gourmet Foods, a frozen food manufacturer in northern Travis County. Romero had complained to a former co-worker he was having trouble with the machine, the Austin American-Statesman reported for Saturday's editions.
Romero's entire body went through the machine, police said.
"He came to us in fragments," said Dr. Elizabeth Peacock, deputy medical examiner in Travis County.
The machine is not a meat grinder but it moves meat downward to be processed further, police said. The large, bowl-shaped machine contains paddle-like arms that move in a circular motion.
"Once he was caught in it, he would have been entangled in those," said Sgt. Robert Horton of the Round Rock Police Department. "It was a gruesome scene." a The top of the machine has metal grates that were open at the time of Romero's death. Sensors in the machine are supposed to detect when the lid is open to prevent the machine from turning on, Horton said.
OSHA cited the manufacturer more than two years ago for more than 50 federal health and safety violations. At the time, OSHA officials said the violations could have resulted in serious injury or death.
Five of the citations were deemed willful, meaning the company intentionally disregarded OSHA regulations.
According to OSHA's Web site, that case was closed when the company paid a $63,000 fine.
"Our company records indicate that this is the first accident of this nature to occur at any Michael Angelo's location in the history of the company," the company said in a written statement.
Police said they think Romero may have fallen into the machine while he was cleaning it.
There were about 25 other employees in the plant at that time, but police haven't determined whether any were near Romero when he died.
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OSHA probes death at Round Rock food plantAssociated Press
ROUND ROCK -- Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have launched an investigation into the death of a food plant worker caught in a meat-processing machine, authorities said.
Daniel Cruz Romero, 34, was killed Friday after being caught in a meat-processing machine at Michael Angelo's Gourmet Foods, a frozen food manufacturer in northern Travis County. Romero had complained to a former co-worker he was having trouble with the machine, the Austin American-Statesman reported for Saturday's editions.
Romero's entire body went through the machine, police said.
"He came to us in fragments," said Dr. Elizabeth Peacock, deputy medical examiner in Travis County.
The machine is not a meat grinder but it moves meat downward to be processed further, police said. The large, bowl-shaped machine contains paddle-like arms that move in a circular motion.
"Once he was caught in it, he would have been entangled in those," said Sgt. Robert Horton of the Round Rock Police Department. "It was a gruesome scene." a The top of the machine has metal grates that were open at the time of Romero's death. Sensors in the machine are supposed to detect when the lid is open to prevent the machine from turning on, Horton said.
OSHA cited the manufacturer more than two years ago for more than 50 federal health and safety violations. At the time, OSHA officials said the violations could have resulted in serious injury or death.
Five of the citations were deemed willful, meaning the company intentionally disregarded OSHA regulations.
According to OSHA's Web site, that case was closed when the company paid a $63,000 fine.
"Our company records indicate that this is the first accident of this nature to occur at any Michael Angelo's location in the history of the company," the company said in a written statement.
Police said they think Romero may have fallen into the machine while he was cleaning it.
There were about 25 other employees in the plant at that time, but police haven't determined whether any were near Romero when he died.
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