Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300800240 - Jobs Resource Unlimited Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

On May 17, 2000, an employee, who worked as a laborer for a temporary employment agency, was at an orange packing facility, stacking boxes of fruit as they came off the end of the conveyor line. He noticed the boxes coming down the line, but heard the bagging area operating. He went to the bagging area of the conveyor line, where the boxes had accumulated on the 19-inch wide, 32-inch high conveyor belt. The conveyor belt pulley was guarded at the nip points and butted up against a roller conveyor, with a gap of approximately one inch between them. The employee was pushing the bottom of an orange box from the conveyor belt onto the rollers when his left rubber glove caught the conveyor/roller and his arm was pulled between the two conveyors. A coworker heard his screams and stopped the conveyor. The employee put his right hand into the opening of the roller to release his other hand. At this point, another coworker on the line restarted the conveyor, entrapping the employee's other arm in the roller. The conveyor was stopped, the employee was freed, and the end roller was permanently removed from service. The employee sustained damaged tendons and muscles in his left arm and friction burns on both arms. He was hospitalized for three days.

Keywords: TENDON, CAUGHT BY, ROLLER CONVEYOR, LOCKOUT, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CONVEYOR, ARM, CONVEYOR BELT