Inspection Detail

Inspection: 18848317 - The Taney Corporation

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

On July 20, 1987, Employee #1 was operating an automatic glue machine that applies glue to the edges of pre-cut manufactured stair treads and risers. The lumber is fed into a press component in the center of the machine where the lumber is compressed for final gluing. The press can only be accessed from the control panel inside. Employees go to the press to install filler boards when needed; this cannot be done while the press is in automatic mode because a limit switch prevents the lid from rising above the machine body. Instead, employees must place the press unit on manual, which then raises the lid 9 in. above the machine. The press unit can only be activated with two hand button controls that are located approximately 13 ft from the press unit. The manufacturer also installed a light curtain in the press unit in the event that the lid is impractical. Employee #1 did not follow his training and approached the press unit to install filler lumber while it was on automatic. He rested his right hand on the edge of the machine body in front and was reaching down with his other hand to pick up the lumber when his fingertips became caught between the beveled lid and the machine body. He hit the STOP button to cease operations. He was then transported to a hospital, where his fingers were stitched and he was released. The employee had been properly trained when initially hired and was trained during employment. Following the accident, management provided refresher training for the operators of this machine and installed a reflector on the beam to augment the existing protection.

Keywords: FINGER, WORK RULES, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, PRESS