Meat Worker Loses Arm in Accident: Corpus Cristi Worker Injured
In an extremely gruesome accident that happened on the next-to-last day of 2013, a worker at the Sam Kane Beef Processors plant in Corpus Christi lost his right arm below the elbow when it was sliced off by a meat saw.
According to witnesses, the worker was using a meat cutter to separate meat from muscle, when his hand somehow slipped and became caught in the machine, slicing the arm. Paramedics who responded to the call were able to retrieve the arm, put it on ice and transport it to the hospital along with the injured worker. A few days later, the worker, who was identified as Howard Miles, was doing much better, and was in good spirits, although he remained in the hospital. There is no word on whether the arm was reattached.
On the one hand, because of automation, mechanization and the improvements in industrial production methods, the American people are able to experience and enjoy an unbelievable variety of food all year round. On the other hand, the industry is doing a lot more with far fewer workers, and that means the average person is probably unaware how hazardous it is for workers in the food packing and meat processing industries.
The reality is, even according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) food production and processing jobs “rank among the most hazardous industries” with a “very high risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries.” The plants are chock full of potential dangers to employees for workers all over the sector.
While the work in a meat processing plant is inherently dangerous, the most hazardous aspect of the work has to do with the pace. The work is extremely fast-paced, and any lapse in concentration can often result in a catastrophic accident. All aspects of the food industry feature very lean profit margins, which means the companies demand high volume, which means they tend to set line speeds to the highest rate allowed by federal sanitation standards, while ignoring those speeds that would be optimum for worker safety. These pressures make limb amputations too common, with meat cutters, slaughterhouse workers, and machine operators all vulnerable to this type of catastrophic injury.
There are a number of possible reasons for an injury such as this. Was this worker and the saw he was operating supplied with proper safety equipment? Did the employer properly maintain the machine to proper legal and technical standards? The worker had only been on the job since September; did he receive the proper safety training for the job?
If you know someone who was injured in workplace accident of any kind, you need a lawyer with the experience to understand how to litigate complex cases involving such situations. Call the Texas Industrial Accident and Injury Lawyer at Hill Law Firm to schedule a free consultation. Preservation of evidence in these claims is crucial so do not delay.