Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310297122 - Progressive Marketing Products Inc/Premier Mounts

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

On March 20, 2009, Employee #1, a temporary contract employee, was operating an Amada press brake (Model FBD III 1253 NT, Serial Number 1253307B) and worked for an employer that manufactured various types of mounting and holding structures for television sets, monitors and other display equipment. Employee #1 was working on an 11 guage cold rolled steel piece measuring 78.75 inches long and 4.85 inches wide. He had already bent this part at the middle of its width, but the angle was slightly larger than the exact 90 degree bend desired. His supervisor, Employee #2, asked him to increase the amount of pressure via the control panel and bend this part again to get a more precise right angle. This press brake was equipped with a die having two parallel V grooves at the bottom part of the point of operation. These two V grooves were about 1.5 inches apart. The top punch ram could be aligned to mate with either of these two V grooves. Employee #1 placed the previously bent piece mistakenly in the inner groove while the punch ram was set to mate with the outer groove. He was holding the part with his hands when he activated the press via the foot pedal. When the die closed, his two index fingertips were crushed between the work piece and the lower die. Employee #1 lost about 0.75 inches of the fingertips on both his index fingers, which included loss of both nails and substantial amounts of bone on both fingers. He was treated in the emergency room and was not hospitalized.

Keywords: DIE, AMPUTATED, FINGER, MACHINE OPERATOR, CRUSHED, POINT OF OPERATION, PUNCH PRESS