UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307169276 - Armstrong World Industries Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Ca Pico Rivera

Investigation Summary

At approximately 4:37 a.m. on July 27, 2006, Employee #1 was cleaning the interior of mixer. The mixers are used to mix vinyl components that make up floor tile. They have large paddles inside, in a horizontal position that turn counter clockwise and are heated to blend and fuse the mixture. The employee scraped the walls of the mixer and was sweeping out the residue with a foxtail broom, in a back and forth motion. His left gloved middle finger got stuck between the wall of the mixer and one of the paddles. He pulled his hand upward in a jerk motion and realized he had cut his finger. He then went to the office and told a coworker about the accident and the paramedics were called. The employee was stabilized, and then transported to St. Francis Emergency Hospital where he was treated. He then was transported to Western Hand and Orthopedics where he was treated further for the amputation of his left middle finger to the first joint. Employee #1 was hospitalized. The employee had worked this position for one and one-half months prior to the accident. He was trained in lock-out procedures, specifically for the mixer he was cleaning and stated that the machine had been properly locked out prior to the accident.

Keywords:amputated, finger, glove, cleaning, mixer, caught by, lockout