Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125694869 - The Karsten Company

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on July 17, 2001, Employee #1, worked as an assembler for a manufacturer of homes. She had been working as an assembler for a little more than six years. Employee #1 was using a Rockwell table saw, Model Number 12/14, identification Number 20. Employee #1 was using the table saw to cut plastic sheets to be used as difuser panels for fluorescent light fixtures. Another employee was standing nearby stacking the cut sheets. When the required number of plastic sheets was cut, the other employee told Employee #1 to shut off the saw motor and she did. Employee #1 then used her hand to sweep the scraps off the table. As she was sweeping, Employee #1 ran her hand across the table from the side edge towards the guarded blade and cut her middle finger off. It was determined that even though the machine had a guard in the down position, her fingers hit the saw guard near the front corner, which then caused the guard to rise and her fingers to come in contact with the rotating blade still spinning. Employee #1 was trained on using this saw and had used this saw many times. Employee #1 was transported the U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and later flown to R.K. Davies Medical Center in San Francisco for surgery. Employee #1 was hospitalized, where her finger was reattached.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, SAW, BLADE