Many Arizonans know about Peeps, a marshmallow candy that is especially popular around Easter. These marshmallows, along with several other popular types of candy, are manufactured at a factory in a state outside of Arizona, and the workers there spend their time preparing this candy for the public’s enjoyment.
Unfortunately, a recent accident involving a conveyor belt left a worker injured at this plant. According to a spokesperson for the candy company, the woman injured her leg after falling onto the belt. While the spokesperson denied knowing how serious the injuries were, rescue personnel said that the female employee would most likely survive the incident. Details about the employee’s name or her family were not available.
According to sources, both OSHA and the company’s internal auditors will investigate the incident to determine what caused it. Hopefully, the investigation will prevent further factory accidents at this facility.
Workers in Arizona who devote themselves to making candy and other types of food face similar risks to that of other factory workers. Like in all factories, food manufacturing plants have lots of heavy machinery that can be quite hazardous if an employer does not ensure that its workers are kept safe.
In particular, employers need to make sure that their employees are able and know how to keep a safe distance from large machines with lots of moving parts. As this case illustrates, when an employee gets too close to such a machine, his or her body parts or clothing can get stuck in the machine and can, in an extreme case, result in the loss of a limb.
In this case, the injured worker may want to consider filing for workers’ compensation benefits in her state, especially if her injuries prove to be serious. At least in Arizona, workers’ compensation benefits can cover for items like lost income and medical expenses.
Source: observer-reproter.com “Worker at marshmallow Peeps plant hurt on conveyor,” Sept. 4, 2013
