Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1307915.015 - Professional Fabrications Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Appleton Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 9:45 a.m. on April 3, 2018, an employee was working for a manufacturer of sheet metal work. He was operating a 700-kilonewton (80-ton) Amada Model Number RG-80 hydraulic press brake. The press brake was actuated by a foot treadle. The bottom of the press moved up to bend the metal part against the top die. At the time of the incident, the press brake did not have physical guarding or presence sensing device(s) in place to prevent employee exposure to the point-of-operation. The employee was forming an arm support part. It required three bends that were completed over two steps, with one step repeated in the program. The jig that bent the part into a u-shape was not within the appropriate tolerances. Because of that, another step had been added to the program sequence. The additional step would dump the outside of the part to create the proper U-shape. The employee was running the parts on the press. When he came to the third step in the sequence, he attempted to dump the part twice. After the initial dump, the program started over to the first step in the sequence, which bent the outside tabs on the part. The employee was holding the part in between the tool and die sections, when the tool came up. It bent the part more than he expected. His fingers were pinched between the two sides of the part. He sustained an amputation to the middle finger of his right hand. He was not hospitalized.

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Caught Between, Die, Equipment Operator, Finger, Machine Guarding, Point Of Operation, Press Brake, Unguarded