Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125654210 - Packers Manufacturing Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:45 a.m. on December 5, 1997, Employee #1 of a company that manufactures packing house equipment was seriously injured. The accident was reported to the Division at approximately 10:00 a.m. on December 8, 1997. Employee #1 has worked for this company for approximately seventeen years as a welder, fabricator of this machine and lead person, supervising five employees. He was sent to a citrus packing company to perform work on a bin dump lid that was not operating properly. The equipment Employee #1 was working on was manufactured by his employer and was still under warranty. The equipment consisted of two bars that grab hold of the sides of large plastic fruit bins to be lifted up and dumped onto a conveyor. These saver bars prevented fruit from falling from the bins. Employee #1 was finding out what the problem was and needed the saver bar running to observe why it was malfunctioning. The machine bounded up and Employee #1 touched it. Employee #1's fingers were caught between the saver bars and dump cradle. Employee #1's middle and ring fingers below nails on his right hand were amputated. Employee #1 stated that he always locked out the equipment prior to actually working on it. Employee #1 had received training which was documented by his employer.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, NAIL, FINGER, LOCKOUT, CAUGHT BETWEEN, HAND