Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1478493.015 - C & B Lumber, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Roanoke (Regional Office) -Safety 0355118

Investigation Summary

At 12:30 p.m. on June 8, 2020, an employee was working as a laborer at a sawmill. He was working in the facility's bandsaw area. He was cleaning beneath an output roll case conveyor that carried away material from a bandsaw. The conveyor system had not been locked out. The employee placed his left hand inside a stop gate housing. The stop gate had been raised by a coworker in the saw control cab. The coworker had raised the gate to control shorter material as it exited the saw and went onto another conveyor system. Not noticing that the employee had placed his hand inside the gate housing, the coworker lowered the stop gate. The employee suffered injuries to his left hand and fingers. He was hospitalized for two or more days. His injuries required surgery. Some forms reported an amputation. It was not clear whether this was a surgical amputation. The bottom of conveyor was 53 in. (1.35 meters) above the floor. From the edge of the conveyor to the stop gate housing track was about 18 in. (460 mm). The gate housing track was about 16 in. high by 16 in. wide (406 mm by 406 mm). The stop gate was made of steel that was 1 ? in. (1.75 in., or 44 mm) thick steel. The stop gate weighed about 300 lbs. (136 kg.).

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Bandsaw, Conveyor, Crushed, Finger, Gate, Hand, Instantaneous amputation, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Miscommunication, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Pinch Point, Pinched, Sawmill, Surgical Amputation, Training, Traumatic Amputation