Inspection Detail

Inspection: 302533690 - Colors, Compounds And Consultants, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Concord Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was feeding scrap PVC pieces into a chopper, which cut them into 1/4 to 1/2 in. pieces. The pieces go out the bottom of the chopper, travel through about 4 ft of pipe, pass through a blower, travel through more piping, and then reach a screen where they are sorted by size and stored. The blower had became plugged, so Employee #1 shut off the blower and locked it out, not understanding that the disconnect did not actually deenergize the blower. He disconnected the discharge pipe from the outlet side of the blower and reached in to clear the jam. Once the blockage was removed, the blower immediately started to run. Employee #1's fingers became caught in the machine, amputating portions of the tops of his index, third, and fourth fingers. The employer did not have specific lockout/tagout procedures for this equipment, as the chopper and blower each met the exceptions listed within T8CCR 1910.147(c)(4)(i). Since the accident, the employer has been advised that specific written procedures must be developed, documented, and utilized per T8CCR 1910.147(c)(4)(i).

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, ROTATING KNIFE, WORK RULES, CAUGHT BY, JAMMED, LOCKOUT, UNTRAINED