Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300849841 - West American Rubber Co Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, a press operator, had his hand crushed when he reached into a press mold machine to remove a part. His job was to remove cured rubber parts from a press mold. Normal procedure called for the operator to wait for the platens to separate fully before reaching in to the danger zone. The middle platen became stuck in the up position, possibly by vacuum, while the lower platen continued down. Before the lower platen had descended below the mechanical stop which normally held up the middle platen, Employee #1 reached in to remove the part. At that time, the middle platen released, falling onto Employee #1's hands and crushing them. He went to a local hospital for treatment.

Keywords: CRUSHED, PRESS OPERATOR, HAND