Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1460671.015 - Sbars Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Marlton Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 2:00 p.m. on February 4, 2020, an employee working as a machine operator for a warehouse supercenter was crushing boxes in the BACE Model V63 Bailer and Compaction Equipment. The bailer had been rented from an outside equipment supplier and was installed at no cost to the company in exchange for a discounted price on their recycled materials. The outside supplier was responsible for maintenance for any problems resulting from normal wear and tear. There were no reported maintenance issues with the bailer at the time. The Bailer had an interlock mechanism that is supposed to prevent employees from getting their hands caught in the point of operation. The employee stated that as he was crushing the boxes, some cardboard was sticking out of the machine. He tried to push the cardboard back into the machine when his left hand became caught in the bailer while it was operating. The employee amputated his middle and ring fingers, requiring hospitalization. It is not currently known why the interlock did not prevent the incident, but the machine was taken out of service.

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Bailer, Caught In, Crushed, Energized, Finger, Hand, Instantaneous amputation, Interlock, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Machine operator, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Pinch Point, Pinched, Point Of Operation, Trash Compactor, Traumatic Amputation, Warehouse