Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126178581 - Applied Graphics Technology

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 3 p.m. on February 18, 2003, Employee #1, a press tender, and a coworker were cleaning the cylinder of a Miehle 77-in. offset press in 54-in-deep service pit. The dimension of the press cylinder was 20in. in diameter by 77 in. in length. The coworker was controlling the inch button located in the service pit area. The inch button was used to move the cylinder. When the inch button was pressed, there was a three-second delay with a buzzer warning and then the cylinder began moving as the operator held the button until the cylinder moved to the desired position. The coworker pressed the inch button to move the cylinder to a new position and Employee #1 began to clean the cylinder with a rag once the cylinder was stopped. Then the coworker pressed the inch button again to move the cylinder a little further and the warning buzzer did not sound because it required about 10 seconds to reset. The moving cylinder caught Employee #1's right hand and he screamed for help. The pressman who was working at the back of the press, near the pit entrance, came down to help and the coworker reversed the cylinder to release Employee #1's hand. The employer transported Employee #1 to the Glendale Memorial Hospital and he was referred to an orthopedic specialist where he was diagnosed with a complex laceration and a fracture of the right hand.

Keywords: FRACTURE, PRINTING PRESS, CYLINDER, PRINTING, CLEANING, CAUGHT BY, LACERATION, HAND, PRESS