OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #976233
PULL BACK DEVICE,AMPUTATED,POWER PRESS,FINGER,EQUIPMENT FAILURE,INEXPERIENCE,PRESS OPERATOR
Event description
Employee's finger partially amputated in press
Investigation abstract
At approximately 4:25 p.m. on February 4, 1988, Employee #1, a press operator in first joint of her right index finger. Only the manual reaction of Employee #1 t o yank her right hand back on her own averted a much more serious amputation. Bo th pull-out devices of both hands had been functioning properly before the accid ent. A combination of operator inexperience and mechanical failure of the safety pull-out system caused the accident. Department 7 of Randall Manufacturing, a division of Textron, Inc., with only 4 0 days experience in manufacturing as a press operator, was operating a Federal 80-ton part-revolution mechanical power press for the first time. The Posson's p ull-out device had a fracture of the right nylon cable clamp on the clip assembl y due to metal fatigue. Employee #1 inadvertently activated a press cycle with t he foot treadle while retrieving with her right hand a finished part from the lo wer die. Her left hand was pulled back, but the pull-out wristlet and cable on h er right hand failed to function. She sustained an amputation of 3/8 in. of the
Victim
-
#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 23 F
- Nature of injury
- 1
- Part of body
- 10
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 26
- Occupation code
- 706
- Human factor
- 9
- Environmental factor
- 1
- Task assigned
- 1
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