Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120269923 - Sony Electronics Inc

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on December 15, 1998, the maintenance crew was cleaning up broken glass from a large television tube that had shattered on the assembly line. During the line test run, one section of the line malfunctioned and the line was shut down, as required by the company's lockout and block-out procedures. After removing additional glass, the crew was positioned to observe and report problems. Employee #1, a maintenance worker, saw a small piece of glass on a ledge of the framework of the conveyer and reached down to remove it. In so doing, Employee #1's fingers were amputated. The foreman in charge of the repair crew yelled for the employee to stop. He immediately shut down the conveyor and notified the medical unit of the injury. The facility medical staff arrived on the scene in less than a minute and administered first aid while emergency medical services were called. Paramedics and the local fire department responded and Employee #1 was taken to a local trauma unit. The employee was hospitalized as a result of his injury. The crew, including Employee #1, had been trained in the task at hand and had received a briefing just before the test run on procedures to report problems and to keep their hands and body clear of the conveyer while it was operating.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, AMPUTATED, BROKEN GLASS, FINGER, WORK RULES, LOCKOUT, CONVEYOR