Inspection Detail

Inspection: 102019585 - Certainteed Corporation

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

ON AUGUST 12, 1985, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS WORKING ON THE SECOND SHIFT IN THE ACCESORIES DEPARTMENT, USING THE FOUR WHEEL HAUL-OFF MACHINE TO RUN OFF 2 3/4 INCH "J" TRIM PROFILE. THE LINE HAD GONE DOWN SEVERAL TIMES. THE EMPLOYEES WERE RESTRINGING THE HAUL-OFF FOR THE THIRD TIME WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED (6:55 PM.) THE FOUR WHEEL HAUL-OFF MACHINE WAS EQUIPPED WITH TWO SETS OF TWO, EIGHT INCH ROLLERS, WHICH HOLD AND PULL THE VINYL AFTER IT HAS BEEN EXTRUDED, FORMED, AND COOOLED. WHEN RESTRINGING THE MACHINE. THE FRONT OF THE BARRIER GUARD, WHICH ENCLOSES THE ROLLERS, MUST BE REMOVED. THE TOP TWO ROLLERS ARE RAISED, LEAVING AT LEAST ONE INCH BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM ROLLERS. EMPLOYEE #1 AND TWO OTHER EMPLOYEES HAD RESTRUNG THE VINYL THROUGH THE ROLLERS, THE ROLLERS HAD BEEN LOWERED, BUT THE GUARD HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. WHEN THE VINYL STARTED COMING OFF THE ROLLERS, EMPLOYEE #1, USING HIS LEFT HAND, BEGAN TO TWIST THE VINYL TO KEEP IT ON THE ROLLER. HE PLACED HIS HAND BETWEEN THE ADJUSTABLE GUIDE ROLLS AND THE FIRST SET OF ROLLERS, VERY NEAR THE IN RUNNING NIP POINT. WHILE TWISTING THE VINYL, HE LOOKED AWAY FOR A SECOND, AND HIS LITTLE FINGER AND RING FINGER ENTERED THE PINCH POINT. HE PULLED HIS FINGERS FROM BETWEEN THE IDLERS, CAUSING AN AVULSION OF THE LITTLE FINGER. THE RING FINGER WAS CRUSHED, AND HE RECEIVED A MINOR FRACTURE OF THE WRIST. EMPLOYEE #1 VIOLATED COMPANY PROCEDURE BY PLACING HIS HANDS IN THE AREA WITHIN THE BARRIER GUARD AFTER THE TOP ROLLERS HAD BEEN LOWERED. THE PROPER METHOD TO BE USED TO KEEP THE VINYL ON THE ROLLERS IS TO HOLD THE VINYL OUTSIDE THE GUARD AT THE POINT WHERE IT FEEDS THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE GUARD. NEWLY HIRED EMPLOYEES ARE GIVEN ONE DAY OF FORMAL TRAINING. THEY ARE SHOWN TWO FILMS ON MACHINE GUARDING, AND ARE TAKEN ON A TOUR OF THE PLANT AND SHOWN HOW THE MACHINES ARE PROPERLY GUARDED. THE EMPLOYEES RECEIVE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING FOR SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT OPERATION.

Keywords: FRACTURE, FINGER, LOCKOUT, ROLLER--MACH/PART, CRUSHED, NIP POINT, UNGUARDED, WRIST