Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310486683 - Hannibal Material Handling, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:30 a.m. on February 15, 2007, an employee was inserting steel into the right side of a A3, Niagara 35 ton, full revolution, punch press, Unit Number 116, and cutting the steel to make the required parts. The employee had used this punch press about three times in the four months he had worked there. He would insert the steel by hand to the desired position on the die, and then activate the punch press using the two hand control buttons on the detached operator's station, that was not secured to the floor, and positioned about one foot away from the punch press. The employee would cut five or six pieces of steel into a two inch triangles, and then remove the pieces from the point of operation on the punch press by hand. At the time of the accident the employee pushed the operator's buttons to make the final cut. After the cut he reached his hand into the punch press to remove the pieces, the punch press actuated, without the employee pushing the buttons again, crushing the fingers of his right hand. Three finger tips of the employee were amputated before the last joint, and the little finger was lacerated. The punch press actuated without the employee pushing the start buttons, this had never happened to him in the past. The employee was not working in close proximity to any other coworker. The witness, the lead man, was not in the area of the injury, but he responded immediately. The supervisor was not in area at the time of the injury. The employee was transported to, treated at, and released from, White Memorial Occupational Medicine Center. He received additional out patient treatment at Western Hand Center.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, CAUGHT BY, CONSTRUCTION, CRUSHED, PUNCH PRESS