Now Thatsa Fresha 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
Daniel Romero wasn't having a good day at work. Seems his machine at the Michael Angelo's food plant had been acting up again. The machine was a bowl-like device that was used to push meat down the line, not actually process the meat. However, it had paddle arms that moved the meat along in a circular fashion until it pushed it down the line. The top was designed with a metal grate that would disable the machine if opened. But as we said, Daniel's machine was acting funny.
Seems the thing would turn off and on by itself. This in itself would scare a normal person, but not Daniel. He wanted to do all he could to help make a better product. So ignoring common-sense and laughing at danger, Daniel threw himself into his work, literally.
When he reached in to clean the machine, he failed not only to heed that little voice in the back of his head telling him the machine was related to that famous car Christine, he also failed to flip all the switches that assured the machine had no chance to come on. Being Darwinian, he reached in as far as he could when, click, the machine came on and processed him.
"He came to us in fragments," said Dr. Elizabeth Peacock, deputy medical examiner in Travis County. So the next time you eat a Michael Angelo's frozen entree, lift a fork for Daniel because he just might be in there, making it fresh.
CONFIRMED URL: http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/auto/epaper/editions/saturday/metro_state_e3ae9c2af3e781df0056.html
Food worker dies when he is caught in processor
(Travis County plant had been cited in 2001 for health, safety violations:
3/29/01: Frozen dinner maker disputes worker safety violations)
By Sarah Coppola, Saturday, June 14, 2003
ROUND ROCK -- A food plant worker died Friday after getting caught in a
meat-processing machine at a company that had been cited for safety
violations. Daniel Cruz Romero, 34, was killed at Michael Angelo's Gourmet
Foods, a frozen food manufacturer in northern Travis County. Police said
they think Romero may have fallen into the machine while he was cleaning it
about 4:30 a.m. 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; 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, police
said.
"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." 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. Police
are still investigating how and when the machine was activated.
Jose Manuel Moncayo, a housemate of Romero's and a former co-worker at
Michael Angelo's, said Romero told him a day before his death that a
machine had been giving him trouble, turning on even when the lid was
open. Moncayo wasn't sure if his friend had told a supervisor about the
problem. 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.
"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. "The safety and the
health of the Michael Angelo's employees is of utmost importance to the
company." The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Michael
Angelo's 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. OSHA inspectors said in 2001
that Michael Angelo's did not protect workers from moving machine parts,
including a meat slicer, and did not provide personal protective equipment
to employees, putting them at risk. According to OSHA's Web site, the case
against the company was closed when the company paid a $63,000 fine.
The plant stepped up its safety training programs in response to OSHA's
allegations, said Gary Ingle, president and CEO of Environmental Data
Services Inc. Michael Angelo's hired the Little Rock, Ark.-based company
to help it meet OSHA standards, Ingle said. "In the past two years, the
accident rate has gone down significantly," he said.
Ingle would not comment on whether Romero had raised safety concerns about
the machinery or whether company officials thought the machine had been
operating properly. OSHA is also investigating the death. Romero had been
working at the plant for three years and was originally from Plan De
Limones, Veracruz. He had started on the assembly line then moved to
cleaning machines, Moncayo said.
Moncayo said Romero was a divorced father of a 5-year-old daughter and a
9-year-old son who still live in Mexico. Romero sent money back to his
family every two weeks, Moncayo said. "He was a humble person," Moncayo
said. "I haven't known him to have an enemy; I haven't known him to have a
problem."
scoppola@statesman.com; 246-0043
About Michael Angelo's
History: Began in Southern California in 1982.
Product line: Variety of Italian entrees, including
calzones, stuffed pastas, sauces and desserts.
Operations: Opened a 132,000-square-foot facility in
Central Texas in 1994; also has facilities in Modesto,
Calif., and in Vista, Calif.
Customers: Various grocery stores and airlines.
CONFIRMED URL: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1952726
HoustonChronicle.com - OSHA probes death at Round Rock food plant
June 14, 2003, 1:31PM
OSHA probes death at Round Rock food plant Associated 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.
Submitted on 06/16/2003
Submitted by:
Biff
Reference:
Austin American Statesman 6/14
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