Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126085950 - Terry Hinge & Hardware Company

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

At 2:35 p.m. on October 10, 2002, an industrial accident took place at the Terry Hinge and Hardware Company which manufactures hinges for doors and windows. At the time of the accident Employee #1, a packer working the day shift by Workstation 15, was sorting and packing hinges. A coworker dropped a rag on the conveyor, which then got caught in the rollers. The coworker asked Employee #1 if he could remove the rag stuck between the rollers and drive belt. Employee #1 stopped the rollers and removed two rollers to try and remove the rag. The supervisor for the assembly area saw Employee #1 trying to remove the rag and instructed Employee #1 to stop what he was doing and let maintenance fix the problem. The supervisor went to get maintenance personnel to fix the problem. When the supervisor left, Employee #1 removed the rollers to try to pull the rag out on his own. When Employee #1 felt he had enough purchase on the rag, he instructed a coworker to turn the power switch on in an attempt to pull the rag out. Employee #1 got his thumb amputated when he lost control of the rag as it went into the belt and roller. The supervisor came back with maintenance people to find Employee #1 had removed two rollers from the system and got his thumb caught in the belt and pulley mounted under the rollers. The belt and pulley motor unit is 5 inches below the top of the rollers. Employee #1 was not trained to perform maintenance on the conveyor system. The Hytrol conveyor is a new system at this job site and the employer did not train its employees that the rollers could represent a new hazard. Employee #1 was taken to Healthline Medical for treatment of an amputation of his right thumb.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, BELT, THUMB, ROLLER--MACH/PART, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CONVEYOR, PULLEY