Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126162668 - Jefferson Smurfit

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, a laminator, had worked for a paper conversion company for six years, in a variety of positions ranging glue man to stacker. The paper conversion company took rolls of paper, laminated two or more sheets together, and then cut them into desired dimensions to make box packaging. Its primary customers were agricultural wholesalers, who used the boxes to hold various types of produce. At approximately 4:00 p.m. on June 30, 1997, Employee #1 arrived for his night shift and upon checking the job schedule discovered that his assignment was to set up a new product on the paper laminator machine. At approximately 5:15 p.m., while he was inspecting the way the paper was running into the rolls and onto the slitters, he lifted the guard in front of the first set of rolls to access the area. The fingers of his right hand became caught by the rolls and was pulled into the machine up to his forearm. A second guard, located at the second set of rolls, stopped his forearm from being pulled in further. Employee #1 was then able to hit the EMERGENCY STOP button with his left hand, and deactivate the machine.

Keywords: GUARD, WORK RULES, EMERGENCY STOP, ROLLER--MACH/PART, CAUGHT BETWEEN, ARM, NIP POINT, SET UP, HAND