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Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #732123

NECK,STRUCK BY,FLYING OBJECT,HYDRAULIC PRESS,FACE

Event
NECK,STRUCK BY,FLYING OBJECT,HYDRAULIC PRESS,FACE
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
732123
Report ID
551800

Event description

Employee killed when struck by flying piece of bronze

Investigation abstract

At approximately 12:10 a.m. on June 14, 1988, Employee #1 was attempting to stra ade contact with the stop block, increased pressure was applied to the bronze pa d, which flew out of the press in two pieces in a south/north direction. One pie ce struck Employee #1 in the jaw and lodged in his throat, causing severe caroti d artery damage and asphyxiation. Employee #1 was treated and taken to St. Cathe rine's Hospital in East Chicago, IN, where he died at 1:10 p.m. on June 14, 1988 . ighten a 6 in. diameter by 12 ft long mild steel shaft, using a Williams/White 6 00 ton capacity vertical hydraulic press. The press is located in the northwest corner of the shop. Employee #1 was standing on the south side of the press oper ating the control handle. To prevent marring, a bronze pad, approximately 1 3/8 in. wide by 1 in. thick by 5 in. long, had been placed between the ram plate and the work piece. A stop block and dial indicator were being used to measure the amount of deflection remaining in the shaft. The work piece had been straightene d to within 1/16 in. When the control handle was not released as the ram plate m

Victim

  1. #1 Fatality Age 33 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    9
    Event type
    1
    Source
    26
    Occupation code
    655
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    5
    Hazardous substance
    8420
    Task assigned
    1

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