Worker at New Jersey ice cream facility has fingertip lopped off while servicing machine

The employee of Mister Cookie Face LLC was attempting to unjam a machine when it activated. (Fieldbrook Foods)

A sanitation worker at an ice-cream facility in Lakewood, N.J., lost a piece of his finger after a machine suddenly switched on while he was servicing it.

The worker, who was employed at Mister Cookie Face LLC, was trying to unjam the machine when it suddenly activated, amputating and fracturing his finger, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) confirmed in a news release.

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The company now faces $103,476 in fines from OSHA, which cited Mister Cookie Face with a number of violations including a failure to ensure employees were wearing appropriate eye and hand protections; exposing employees to bloodborne pathogens; a failure to train employees to clean up after accidents; and not ensuring a locking mechanism to ensure the machines would not operate while servicing, among others.

“This injury could have been avoided with worker training and the use of lockout/tagout procedures,” said Paula Dixon-Roderick, the director of OSHA’s Marlton Area Office, per the release. “Employers who implement an effective safety and health program can ensure that workplace hazards are identified and corrected to prevent worker injuries or fatalities.”

The company, which is owned by Fieldbrook Foods, was cited by OSHA for a number of safety violations following the incident. (Google)

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Mister Cookie Face, which is owned by Fieldbrook Foods, has a limited time to pay the fines, raise questions or contest the findings, according to OSHA.