Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125737114 - Samoa Pacific Cellulos

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

On August 2, 2001, Employee #1, a utility worker at a pulp mill, was injured while working in the machine room. The machine was down and was being brought back into production. Employee #1 was waiting for the machine to start. When the machine did not start, Employee #1 started to help feed the tape through the rolls in an effort to start the machine. Employee #1 placed the tape into a running roll and the fingers on her left hand were caught by the roll and smashed, requiring an amputation of the employee's left middle finger tip. Employee #1 had worked in another pulp mill for 17 years, she was not aware that this mill shuts the rolls off to feed the tape through the rolls. On the day of the accident, Employee #1 was assigned to operate a forklift and had not been instructed to attempt to do anything to try to start the machine. Employee #1 was treated for her injuries but not hospitalized.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, ROLLER--MACH/PART, MILL--PLANT