Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1562730.015 - Fabuwood Cabinetry Corp

Inspection Information - Office: Parsippany Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 3:45 p.m. on November 2, 2021, an employee was working for a firm that manufactured wooden kitchen cabinets and countertops. She operated compressing and compacting machinery. She was conducting an instructional demonstration of a Stefani SCM Olimpic k-560 edge bander, with serial number AHH 245. She was explaining to her supervisor issues she had with feeding plywood into a live edge bander machine while tape bands were still attached to the edges of the wood. The firm's safety manager told the compliance officer during the investigation that the firm was aware that plywood products with tape bands along their sides that were being damaged during processing. Some plywood edges were getting destroyed during processing, and machine blades were breaking. According to the firm's machine supervisor, it was discovered that the side tape one the plywood was the root cause. He stated the employee stood next to the machine and began to demonstrate the problem. The tape bands on the plywood were getting caught in the blades and destroying the edges along with the blades. As the employee continued her explanation, she reached into the machine approximately 6 inches (150 mmm) to show her supervisor the machine's blades. As she lifted the conveyor system inside to show the blades, the machine started up and pulled the employee's gloved hand inside. The rotating blades ground the tip of her finger off. Her finger was amputated. She was treated without hospitalization.

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Blade, Caught By, Caught In, Clothing, Edger, Finger, Fingertip, Glove, Hand, Jammed, Machine Cycled, Machine Guarding, Machine operator, Nip Point, Plywood, Protective Clothing, Reaching, Rotating Parts, Supervisor