Universal fined after restaurant worker’s finger is partially cut off

Universal Orlando Resort was fined $5,046 after a worker got her finger partially cut off in a fresh pasta machine last year at a Universal CityWalk restaurant, according to newly released federal records.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, initially fined Universal $10,046 but then lowered the penalty to $5,046 following a settlement, records showed.

The accident occurred at Vivo Italian Kitchen on April 22, 2023, when a new employee was making pasta for the day. A piece of pasta dough got stuck in the pasta machine at the restaurant in the popular shopping and restaurant complex outside Universal’s theme parks.

The woman “turned off the machine and proceeded to open the doors holding a canister that holds the dough,” according to OSHA records obtained by Florida Politics through a records request. “When (she) tried to remove the dough, the rollers of the ravioli attachment located inside the machine started to roll resulting in (her) finger being caught, amputating the tip of her right index finger.”

The unidentified restaurant worker had only been on the job two weeks when she lost part of her finger. She was trained for a single day, the federal records said.

OSHA, the federal agency responsible for workplace safety, investigated and found severe safety violations.

A magnet to hold the guard in a closed position was missing. The OSHA accident investigation also found the automatic fresh pasta machine with a ravioli attachment was “not adequately guarded due to a faulty interlock,” records said. The ravioli attachment — a device red tagged and out of service — had been separated from the rest of the pasta machine.

Employees knew the guard door of the ravioli attachment had a history of opening on its own before, but management wasn’t told, OSHA’s findings said, adding that the restaurant should have regularly inspected it.

OSHA’s investigation lasted a few months and ended two weeks before Christmas in 2023. Florida Politics made a public record request for the investigative report in January 2024. OSHA released it to Florida Politics this week — five months later.

Vivo Italian Kitchen describes itself as a “sleek, modern” restaurant that stands out for its homemade pasta, according to its website.

Universal did not respond to a message for comment.