Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305354599 - Tristar Laminates Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

On July 12, 2004, Employee #1 was operating a 10-foot long panel saw. The saw had a metal hood for dust collecting, which comes down automatically to the top of the material being cut and covers the exposed part of the circular blade from the top. The material to be cut is positioned on the table of the saw and the blade is activated from a control panel. The hood comes down to the top of the material, then the circular blade travels from left to right cutting through the material to the end of the set travel limit and then goes under the table to return back to the starting point. Employee #1 was cutting a stack of cardboard pieces 2 inches high and 48 inches wide. In the normal operation, when the hood is lifted up, the rotating blade retracts down under the table. But at the time of the accident, due to a malfunction, the rotating blade did not retract and stayed above the table while returning back to the starting point. Employee #1's right hand came in contact with the traveling blade while he was setting the next stack of material to be cut. He suffered a deep laceration to the palm of his right hand near his wrist. Surgery was required to repair the damage and he was hospitalized for four days.

Keywords: ROTATING PARTS, MACHINE OPERATOR, STRUCK AGAINST, SAW, LACERATION, BLADE, HAND, MECH MALFUNCTION