Inspection Detail

Inspection: 124626110 - Rail Bearing Service

Inspection Information - Office: Utah Division Of Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was using a bearing press machine to press a bearing retainer ring into the bearing housing. After he pressed the ring into place, the press returned to the up position. When Employee #1 reached into the machine to retrieve the part, the press unexpectedly came down and caught the tips of his fingers between the press and the part. Employee #1 stated that when he put his hand onto the ring, he realized that he had made a mistake. He hit the STOP button, but it was too late. The tips of the 2nd and 3rd fingers of his left hand were amputated. Most of the injuries Employee #1 sustained occurred when he jerked his hand back. If Employee #1 had grabbed the tool by the designed handles, his fingers would not have been caught. After further investigation, it was found that the timer on the machine had malfunctioned. The machine has been taken out of service and disassembled. The company remanufactures wheel bearings for rail cars.

Keywords: SEVERED, AMPUTATED, FINGER, WORK RULES, CAUGHT BETWEEN, POINT OF OPERATION, BEARING, PRESS OPERATOR, MECH MALFUNCTION, PRESS