Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119821148 - Preferred Personnel

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

On October 28, 2003, an employee was working for Precision Powdered Metal Parts, Inc. in Pomona, California. Precision Powdered Metal Parts, Inc. was engaged in the manufacture of powdered metal components found in tools, appliances, and machinery. At the time of the accident, the employee was repairing a mechanical press used for molding (Stokes, dual pressure press, RV4, #T-40166). He was inserting a connection pin and used a wooden block to prop up a vertical connection rod to bring it into alignment with a bracket that was located a few inches above the connection rod's pinholes. The employee placed his right foot on one end of the wooden block, placed the other end of the block under the vertical connection rod, and placed the middle of the wooden block on the frame of the machine. To achieve a lever action, the employee put pressure on the block, and as a result, the connection rod rose in close proximity to the bracket. The employee maintained some pressure on the block to keep the connection rod in place. The pin, however, would not go in. The employee inserted his two middle fingers into the bracket holes, and then through the connection rod's pin holes to check for alignment. The wooden block slipped away from under the connecting rod, and the rod fell to the ground, shearing off the ends of the employee's middle fingers. The employee was transported to US Health Works in Pomona, then to Orthopedic Medical Group in West Covina. .

Keywords: REPAIR, POWER PRESS, FINGER, FALLING OBJECT, SHEARED