ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A Florida man who lost his penis to a "peeler machine" in an industrial accident is suing a foam-cutting company for negligence.
The lawsuit by Edgardo Toucet Echevarria, 44, claims he was injured Jan. 13, 2010, at Future Foam Carpet Cushion while removing a "foam core" from a machine used to cut blocks of carpeting foam, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Thursday.
Echevarria's suit alleges he removed the foam from the machine he was not trained to operate at the request of supervisors and that the removal of the foam core activated the machine.
"The surgically sharp steel blade sliced through Toucet's pelvis cutting off his penis and testicles while virtually cutting his body in half," the lawsuit alleges.
The suit claims employees had improperly removed a protective guard from the machine.
The lawsuit also includes a negligence claim against Baumer of America, manufacturer of the peeler machine.
Future Foam was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 10 serious violations stemming from the incident, OSHA spokesman Michael D'Aquino said.
