OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14382899

MIXER BLADE,AMPUTATED,WAREHOUSE,ROTATING KNIFE,WORK RULES,MIXER,CAUGHT BY,AUGER,FOOT,LEG

1987-01-31T00:00:00

Event: MIXER BLADE,AMPUTATED,WAREHOUSE,ROTATING KNIFE,WORK RULES,MIXER,CAUGHT BY,AUGER,FOOT,LEG
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 14382899
Report ID: 521400

Event description

Employee killed when caught in ribbon blender

Investigation abstract

At approximately 4:00 a.m. on January 31, 1989, Employee #1, age 18, was working piece of metal extended up from the platform floor to serve as a toeboard. The southern side of the platform did not have a standard guardrail, only a rod plac ed at an angle to hold up the eastern side railing. When the gaylord became full , it was normal practice was for workers to walk around the platform and push th e bags down by hand. In contrast, Employee #1 would jump from the platform into the gaylords to crush the bags. Apparently, when he jumped he missed the gaylord . His left foot hit the guard on the southern end of the ribbon blender, pushing it out of place and causing his left foot and leg to become caught in the blend er. His leg was pulled from his body, which was thrown to the floor. Employee #1 had died by the time he was found. in the warehouse area at the master batch blending station. The job involved em ptying 50 pound bags of polyvinyl chloride along with small measured amounts of other chemicals into a high intensity blender. The empty polyvinyl chloride bags were then thrown into gaylords (4 by 4 ft cardboard boxes) located at the south eastern end of the ribbon blender platform. The ribbon blender had covers at eac h end that extended beyond the platform. The covers were made of 12-gauge expand ed metal and were not bolted down and/or secured from movement. The northern and eastern sides of the platform were equipped with a guardrail, and a 12 in. high

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 18 M

Nature of injury
1

Part of body
16

Event type
2

Source
26

Occupation code
999

Human factor
18

Environmental factor
1

Task assigned
1

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