Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 202493615 - Employee Contacts Spinning Blades and Amputates Fingertip
Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
---|---|---|---|---|
316518000 | 08/29/2012 | 0139 | 111219 | The Morning Star Company |
Abstract: On August 14, 2012 Employee #1, a mechanic, went to inspect and modify a cover on a GK Machine Inc., Model Number L14 tomato harvester. The cover guarded spinning blades that reduced tomato vines into a fine mulch. His supervisor instructed him to install hinges on the cover for easy access to the area, as it was repeatedly plugged with vines. Employee #1 stated that because the machine was relatively new, the cover would need to be enhanced for better functionality. He inspected the cover to see what he needed to fabricate and observe the movement of the weld hinges on the harvester. Employee #1 also needed to make a latch to keep the guard closed. When the harvester came out of the tomato field, Employee #1 asked the operator to stop the machine. He then reached into the opening, where the cover should have been installed to remove an accumulation of tomato vines. As Employee #1 grab the vines, his fingertip contacted the spinning blades of the harvester and amputated it. He did not wait for the blades to stop spinning after the power was disengaged on the harvester. A coworker transported Employee #1 to a medical center, where he underwent medical care and was then released.
Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 316518000 | Non Hospitalized injury | Amputation | Farm equipment mechanics |