Inspection Detail

Inspection: 105478580 - Wisconsin Wires Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

EMPLOYEE #1 WAS APPLYING A PLY BOND COATING TO THE EDGE OF A WOVEN PLASTIC ROLL. THE PLASTIC ROLL WAS STRETCHED BETWEEN TWO ROLLERS (CANS), 25 FEET APART, OF A FINISHING MACHINE. HE WAS SITTING ON A STOOL NEAR ONE OF THE CANS AND BETWEEN THE CANS (THE FABRIC BEING PROCESSED WAS NARROWER THAN THE CANS). THE STANDS WHICH SUPPORT THE CANS ARE HELD IN PLACE BY MOUNTING BOLTS. THESE BOLTS ARE STRESSED DAILY DUE TO THE TENSION APPLIED WHEN THE FABRIC IS STRETCHED BETWEEN THE CANS. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE TENSION BEING APPLIED TO THE FABRIC WAS WELL BELOW THE MAXIMUN ALLOWABLE, BUT THE MOUNTING BOLTS ON THE CAN NEAREST THE EMPLOYEE SNAPPED, CAUSING THE CAN TO FALL ONTO HIM AND ROLL OVER HIM AT THE GROIN AREA. THE CAN IS 36 INCHES IN DIAMETER, 330 INCHES LONG, WEIGHS 21,334 POUNDS AND WAS MOUNTED 54 INCHES ABOVE THE FLOOR. NUMEROUS SEVERE INJURIES, INCLUDING A SEVERED RIGHT LEG AND INTERNAL TRAUMA, RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF THE EMPLOYEE.

Keywords: SEVERED, MAINTENANCE, WORK RULES, ROLLER--MACH/PART, CRUSHED, BOLT, LEG