Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307161489 - Productivity California Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:00 p.m. on June 9, 2004, an employee was assigned to work in the Thermoforming Department as an operator on the Kase 402 Thermoprinting machine. The employee worked the first shift and had been working for Productivity California, Inc., for about three years. Her primary duties were to operate the Kase 402 Thermoprinting machine. The employee noticed that the plastic containers were jamming on the take-off side of the machine. This was the area where the pots were directed after printing and UV curing. The take-off area was where the pots went before they were stacked. There were a series of drives and pulleys in this area which guided the pots. The employee opened the door to this area and with her left index finger and thumb, touched a timing belt which was stopped. Her supervisor said that the drive was working. He said that as the employee touched the timing belt, it inadvertently started moving and the employee's left index finger was taken into the area between the timing belt and the drive. The tip of the employee's left index finger was amputated. The employee was taken to Technimed and then to a hand specialist where surgery was performed. She was not hospitalized. The employee's supervisor said that she had been employed by Productivity California, Inc. for three years. The cause of the accident was that the timing belt and drive on the take-off unit to the Kase 402 Thermoprinting machine were not deenergized before the employee touched them to determine the cause of the jam.

Keywords: PRINTING PRESS, AMPUTATED, FINGER, CAUGHT BY, LOCKOUT, STRUCK BY, NIP POINT, PRESS