Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125449629 - Century Stair Company

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Manassas (Regional Office)- Safety 0355114

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:00 noon on February 15, 1995, Employee #1 was operating the Watkins CNC router located in the west end of the cut shop of a wooden stair and railing manufacturer. This dual head (bit) router is fully automated. Once the computer is programmed, the machine performs all the programmed functions on a particular piece of stock. After initiating the program, the operator performs no function, but does have the ability to stop the program by means of several safety checks, buttons, and switches. Employee #1 had been in training and operating this machine for two weeks, a total of 50 hours. The machine was performing the first cut on 1 in. stock in the jig, forming a curved stair landing (the second of two pieces). Employee #1 was observing the operation when the right sleeve of his jacket became caught in the unused right side bit (the nosing bit), which pulled his right hand into the unprotected functioning bit. The bit struck Employee #1's right hand between the index finger and thumb, resulting in a thumb fracture and severe lacerations. The chip guard was not in place on the right side bit head, which rotates at 18,000 rpm. Employee #1 has no memory of how his hand was struck by the router bit or why his hand would have been in the area of the bit or the machine's vacuum table. Employee #1 was evidently attempting to remove the scrap piece of stock cut off by the left side router bit.

Keywords: CLOTHING, FRACTURE, ROTATING PARTS, WORK RULES, CAUGHT BY, MILLING MACHINE, STRUCK BY, UNTRAINED, UNGUARDED, MACHINE--MISC