Baby's Hand

[K C Muffin]

This article in the KC Star - on Mother's Day, no less...........

"An 18-month-old girl's hand was cut off when it became caught in a conveyor belt at a chocolate factory she was touring with her family, officials said. The girl's left hand was caught Saturday in a belt at the Menehune Mac Factory Gift Center, fire officials said. By the time firefighters arrived, employees had bandaged the girl and retrieved her hand.

"Our guys just put it in a bag on ice, just to preserve it in case doctors are able to do anything with it," Fire Capt. Chris Ah Mook Sang said. She was taken to The Queen's Medical Center, which did not release her condition.

The girl and her family were attending the company's Fifth Annual Mother's Day Candy Making Event, a fundraiser for the Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation.

Menehune Mac President Neal Arakaki said he was investigating. "We feel so bad about this," he said. "This is something truly out of the ordinary. Everyone's just really shook up."

Arakaki said the factory was sanitized and production resumed in a different area of the factory.

Menehune Mac, founded in 1939, is the oldest existing manufacturer of macadamia nut candies in Hawaii, according its Web site.

So, my question is, how can an 18-month-old be left without supervision long enough to put her hand in the conveyor belt? Did they not have the tour group far enough back from the machinery? Where were her parents? I hope they can reattach her hand.

[lurker]

That is truly sad. Plenty of blame to pass around.

I shudder when I see small children standing near doors that have metal frames... pop goes a finger....