Inspection Detail

Inspection: 111949319 - Stieb Citrus Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:11 a.m. on November 17, 1999, Employee #1 was operating a pomegranate press machine, when the piston of the press broke off and fell on his arm. The piston weighed approximately 400 lb. The equipment was manufactured in-house and no documentation related to the machinery's safety parameters or maintenance requirements were available. Employee #1, who worked as a squeezer, was responsible for positioning a 32-in.-deep, 31-in.-diameter pomegranate containers beneath the 2-in.-thick, 29-in.-diameter piston. The piston was attached to a hydraulic ram that lowered the piston upon the pomegranate squeezing the juice out. After the juice was squeezed out, he raised the piston and pushes the container forward so another container of fruit to slide under the piston, and the cycle was repeated. However, as Employee #1 pushed the container forward, the piston broke off the ram from where it was attached and fell upon his arm. He received multiple fractures to his arm and was hospitalized. In response to his statement, the company stated that the weld that held the piston to the ram was broken by the impact of the piston striking against the cylinder housing when it was raised to the "up" position. Then according to employees, this connection has failed before. The repeatable failure in the welding joint that adjoins the piston to the ram suggests that the connection was not sufficient to withstand repetitive impacts of the piston striking against the cylinder housing.

Keywords: FRACTURE, ARM, PRESS CYLINDER, PRESS OPERATOR, PRESS