Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119911824 - The Okonite Company

Inspection Information - Office: Labor Enforcement Task Force (Letf) Unit - South

Investigation Summary

On April 26, 1995, Employee #1, who worked for a cable manufacturer, was making plastic blocks, a process that was done three or four times a year. He used a portable Sears 10 in. table saw to cut a 4 ft by 4 1/2 in. by 3 in. strip off a 4 ft by 8 ft by 3 in. piece of plastic. The saw did not extend the full depth of the 3 in. plastic, and Employee #1 had to turn over the plastic to finish the cut. He took the strip and used the saw to cut six 1/2 in. by 4 1/2 in. by 3 in. pieces. Employee #1 then cut each of these into 1/2 in. by 4 1/2 in. by 2 3/8 in. pieces. The blade would not go the full 4 1/2 in. depth and he again had to turn it over to finish the cut. At approximately 7:30 p.m., Employee #1 had finished two blocks and was making the first cut on the 3 in. side of a third block. He was using a push stick and all guards were in place on the table saw. While his hand was on the block and under the guard, the block kicked back and his hand contacted the saw blade. Employee #1 lacerated the palm of his left hand and was taken to Maria Hospital, where he stayed for two days. The OSHA inspector arrived at the accident location at approximately 10:00 a.m. on May 1, 1995. Employee #1 had been making these blocks for over 2 1/2 years but had never been taught how to make these cuts safely; he was just told that here was the plastic sheet and here was the saw. The employer was cited for failing to train Employee #1 in a safe method for making the blocks.

Keywords: KICK BACK, WORK RULES, STRUCK AGAINST, SAW, LACERATION, BLADE, UNTRAINED, HAND, TABLE SAW