OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14339998

CRUSHED,UNGUARDED,INATTENTION,MACHINE--MISC

1985-05-27T08:15:00

Event: CRUSHED,UNGUARDED,INATTENTION,MACHINE--MISC
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 14339998
Report ID: 453710

Event description

CRUSHED BY BRICK SETTING MACHINE

Investigation abstract

AT APPROXIMATELY 8:15 AM ON MAY 27, 1985, EMPLOYEE #1 BECAME CAUGHT UNDER THE SE . THEIR ASSIGNED TASK IS TO REMOVE DEFECTIVE BRICKS FROM THE TABLE AND TO STRAIG HTEN CROOKED ONES. THEY MUST HAVE ACCESS TO THIS AREA. (THE SETUP IS COMMON IN T HIS INDUSTRY.) WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED EMPLOYEE #1 WAS FUNCTIONING AS THE LIN E SUPERVISOR AND, AT THE SAME TIME, FILLING IN FOR THE SETTING MACHINE OPERATOR. THE SETTING MACHINE HELPER HAD BEEN SENT TO MOVE KILN CARS TO THE FRONT OF THE KILN. THE BRICK MACHINE OPERATOR, WHO HAD HIS BACK TURNED TO THE SETTING MACHINE , THOUGHT HE HEARD A SCREAM. HE TURNED AND NOTICED THAT THE SETTING HEAD WAS STU CK ALMOST ALL THE WAY DOWN. HE TURNED THE ENTIRE LINE OFF AND WENT TO ASK EMPLOY EE #1 WHAT WAS WRONG. HE DIDN'T SEE EMPLOYEE #1 ON THE PLATFORM, SO HE WENT DOWN TO FLOOR LEVEL. HE THEN SAW EMPLOYEE #1 UNDER THE SETTING HEAD. HE SENT FOR HEL TTING HEAD OF A BRICK LAYING LINE. THE LOCATION WAS PLANT #2, BOREN CLAY PRODUCT P, AND, WHEN HELP ARRIVED, LIFTED THE SETTING HEAD OFF EMPLOYEE #1. EMPLOYEE #1 DIED AT THE SCENE. S COMPANY, 1410 FOREST ACRES CIRCLE, PLEASANT GARDEN, NORTH CAROLINA. NONE OF TH E OTHER EMPLOYEES ACTUALLY SAW THE ACCIDENT. THE SETTING HEAD FUNCTIONS BY REMOV ING BRICKS FROM THE SETTING TABLE AFTER THE BRICKS ARE FORMED AND CUT TO SIZE, P REPARING THEM TO BE PLACED IN THE KILN CAR. THE SETTING HEAD ROTATES 90% WITH EV ERY OTHER COURSE. THE MACHINE WAS MADE BY THE PERNE AND LACY COMPANY. IT CAN PIC K UP 320 BRICK WEIGHING 5 POUNDS APIECE. THE SETTING MACHINE OPERATOR NORMALLY W ORKS ON ONE SIDE OF THE SETTER AND THE SETTING MACHINE HELPER WORKS ON THE OTHER

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 26 M

Nature of injury
21

Part of body
4

Event type
2

Source
27

Occupation code
779

Human factor
1

Environmental factor
6

Task assigned
2

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