Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1605744.015 - Arthurmade Plastics, Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At 1:30 p.m. on June 29, 2021, an employee was working as an electrician/maintenance technician for plastic container manufacturer. Raw resin is injected or blow molded after which time the containers are run through an automated system that performs finishing operations including hot stamping labels. The employee was adjusting the hot stamp plate on a MAS Automated Pail System machine #9 (Serial #11187). Coworker #1, the automation/maintenance manager, is the employee's supervisor. The employee reported being instructed to change the machine from 4.5 gallon buckets to 5.5 gallon buckets. The employee needed to adjust the labeling part of the hot stamp. While the machine was operating he opened the interlocked front door. The employee needed to adjust the laser for the bucket label which required adjusting the bucket. He reached into the machine and was manually turning the bucket when the hot stamp activated and caught his hand. The employee said lockout tagout was not required on this particular machine. Coworker #2, the production floor lead, reported that the hot stamp only works when activated by a bucket and the employee asked for help putting the buckets in the machine to observe it running. Coworker #2 said that he saw the employee put a piece of metal in or over the sensor so he could work with the door open and the machine running. The employee was manually turning the bucket to adjust the labeling part when the machine activated and the laser stamped a label on the bucket. Coworker #1 said they looked for a piece of metal to defeat the interlock sensor but could not find it. The employee denied attempting to defeat the interlock. The employee sustained crush injuries and third degree burns to his left hand. The employee was taken to the hospital, where his wound was cleaned and he was sent home. On July 1, 2021, the employee went back to the hospital, where he was admitted and spent approximately 15 days in the hospital to treat his injury.

Keywords: Adjust, Burn, Bypass, Bypass Guard, Caught Between, Caught In, Crushed, Die Safety Device, Electrician, Fracture, Hand, Heat, Hot Plastic, Interlock, Lack of Work Procedures, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Machine Cycled, Machine Guarding, Machine operator, Maintenance, Manufacturing, Mechanic, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Production Line, Reaching In, Safety Device, Stuck, Technician