Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1481014.015 - Honeywell Safety Products Usa, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Providence Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 4:00 a.m. on June 26, 2020, an employee working as a machinery maintenance technician was making a final alignment on an assembled Branson Ultrasonic Welding Machine. With the machine energized, the employee pulled the actuator carriage down to make the final alignment. The emergency stop button was about waist height to the employee. He positioned his left hand on the left side of the actuator carriage frame and attempted to make the final adjustments with his right hand on the right side of the actuator carriage frame. With the machine under pressure, the employee believes he inadvertently hit the emergency stop button which forced the actuator carriage to return to its home position. When the actuator carriage was in the down position, a gap is created between the actuator carriage frame and the support frame. When the actuator carriage returned to its home position, the employee's left index finger was in that gap and was pinched. The employee may have also inadvertently loosened the column clamp on the right side of the actuator carriage. With the horn-down switch engaged, the carriage would have been under pressure in the down position. Once the column clamp was loosened, the actuator carriage would have returned to the home position creating the same pinch point condition. The employee had approximately 1/4-inch to a 1/2-inch of his fingertip amputated, requiring hospitalization.

Keywords: Align, Aligning, Amputated, Amputation, Caught Between, Emergency Stop, Energized, Finger, Fingertip, Frame, Inexperience, Instantaneous amputation, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Machine operator, Maintenance, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Partial Amputation, Pinch Point, Pinched, Traumatic Amputation, Unstable Position, Welder