OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #822494
MAINTENANCE,ROTATING PARTS,AMPUTATED,BELT,FINGER,WORK RULES,NIP POINT,PULLEY
Event description
EMPLOYEE'S FINGERTIPS AMPUTATED IN BELT & PULLEY NIP POINT
Investigation abstract
IN A PLANT THAT MANUFACTURERS CORRUGATED CARTONS, SEVERAL OF THE ROLLER CONVEYOR HAT WORKING ON MOVING EQUIPMENT IS PROHIBITED. A LIST OF SAFETY RULES WHICH THE INJURED EMPLOYEE READ AND INITIALED WHEN HIRED IN 1986 INCLUDED ONE RULE FORBIDD ING REPAIR ON RUNNING MACHINERY. S ARE DRIVEN BY A "V" BELT THAT PASSES BENEATH THE CLOSELY SPACED ROLLERS (AND I N CONTACT WITH THEM) AND CAUSES THEM TO TURN. THE BELTS ARE FROM 6 TO 8 FEET LON G AND ARE 3/4 INCH WIDE. THE PULLEYS AT THE BELT ENDS ARE ABOUT 5 INCHES IN DIAM ETER. BELTS ARE CHANGED WITH THE POWER OFF AND BY "SNAPPING" A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF ROLLERS OUT TO GET TO AT EACH END OF THE BELTS. DESPITE A STRICT PLANT-WIDE POLICY AGAINST WORKING ON OPERATING MACHINERY, EMPLOYEE #1 ATTEMPTED TO INSTALL A NEW BELT ON A ROTATING PULLEY. THE TIPS OF THE SECOND AND FOURTH FINGERS OF HI S LEFT HAND WERE AMPUTATED. INTERVIEWS WITH OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONS CONFIRMS T
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 50 M
- Nature of injury
- 1
- Part of body
- 10
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 27
- Occupation code
- 549
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 1
- Task assigned
- 1
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