Inspection Detail

Inspection: 104432786 - Mcgregor Printing Corporation

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

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was operating a Bloapco shredder-baler (Serial No. 78666) in the bale room as part of his normal duties. Waste paper in wire bins would be dumped into a feed chute where it was carried by a double conveyor to the top of the shredder, 13.31 ft above the floor. Once shredded, the paper would accumulate in a bin where, at a predetermined point, a compactor would bundle the material into bales. The double conveyor that was used to transport the paper to the top of the shredder was a modified piece of equipment that had been changed, in part, by the employer. Under this setup, the conveyor became clogged with paper on a regular basis. Employee #1 would clear the jam by climbing the conveyor to the top of the shredder and clearing the paper by hand or with hand tools. At the time of the accident, Employee #1 was standing on a 16-in. by 40.5-in. flat portion of metal, trying to clear the conveyor while the shredder was running. He fell into the rotating cutter rollers and was shredded and killed. Employee #1, who had been operating the shredder for approximately 1 year for the same employer, had been told to shut it down before clearing the conveyor. He was last told this 4 months ago, but coworkers said the practice continued despite the warnings. The manufacturer recommends that all power be locked out before maintenance or repair. Employee #1 had received only on-the-job training for the machine.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, ROTATING PARTS, PAPER SHREDDER, WORK RULES, LOCKOUT, CLOGGED, BALER, FALL