Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1448224.015 - Wallner Expac, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta West Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 2:45 p.m. on November 21, 2019, an employee working as a quality assurance technician for a fabricated metal manufacturer was examining cut aluminum strips. The employee was working at a table next to a cutting machine known as the Meter Minster (or MMS). The aluminum sheets running through the machine jammed and a coworker (the operator) was attempting clear the jam. The employee approached the machine to assist the coworker in clearing the jam. The employee reached under the guard at the front of the machine to pull the trapped pieces free. When she reached into the machine, her l eft hand contacted the blade. The employee amputated her thumb tip and was hospitalized.

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Blind Reaching, Bypass Guard, Caught In, Cutting, Finger, Fingertip, Instantaneous amputation, Jammed, Machine Guarding, Metal Strip, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Partial Amputation, Pinch Point, Pinched, Reaching, Struck By, Thumb, Traumatic Amputation