Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126070671 - Plastpan North America, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

Plastopan North America, Inc. is a plastic container manufacture. On July 9, 1999, Employee #1 was vacuuming and emptying plastic pellets inside the hopper. There are seven heating zones outside the heating barrel of the Battenfeld injection-molding machine. Each heating temperature was set differently. Heating zone number 1 is the nozzle heating zone, and the set temperature was 300 degree Fahrenheit. Zones two through 7 were the barrel heating zones, and their set temperatures were 350, 449, 449, 449, 339, and 325 degrees Fahrenheit respectively. The set temperatures of each heating zone were monitored and controlled by thermocouples and controllers. A computer station monitors the setting temperature, pressures, and retention times, so the machine can run automatically. At the time of the accident, the thermocouple on heating zone number 7 was not functioning properly. Usually, the heating temperature was set between 350 to 450 degree Fahrenheit with a 65 degree Fahrenheit plus or minus tolerance level. The actual temperature was 600 to 650 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature was too high, which caused the raw material to become a lump of molten plastic within the cylinder throat. Some of the molten plastic inside the heating chamber was gasified, this created a pressure inside the barrel. When Employee #1 was vacuuming out the pellets, the lump became disturbed and was removed. Pressure inside the barrel released, and the molten plastic erupted and splashed on Employee #1's face and arm. The thermocouple on heating zone number7 was defective and was not functioning properly. This caused heating zone number 7 to overheat, which resulted in this accident. The thermocouple should have been inspected and maintained on a regularly base, so the set temperature in the heating zone could not be overheated. The overheated conditions within heating zone number 7 caused the raw material to become a lump of plastic and jammed the cylinder throat. The material hopper could not slide pass the cylinder throat to the other opening. The raw material in the hopper could not be taken out. The employer required that Employee #1 go to the top of the hopper to vacuum and empty the hopper. This placed Employee #1 in a position of exposure to the molten plastic. Molten plastic erupted and splashed onto Employee #1's face and arm, and he was hospitalized with burns.

Keywords: BURN, MOLDING MACHINE, PLASTIC MFG, ARM, FACE