Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311464663 - Deeter Foundry, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Omaha Area Office

Investigation Summary

On December 22, 2008, Employee #1 and coworkers were cleaning an entire facility during a company's annual holiday clean-up/shut down period. Employee #1 was assigned to clean out the South GK/Plant 2 "pit" using a Max Vac, a positive displacement blower to vacuum the residual sand from underneath and around the sand conveyor system and shaker within the pit. The South GK/Plant 2 "pit" is 11.5 ft deep from floor to the top of the rail, 13 ft wide and over 20 ft long. Inside the pit, there is the shake-out machine for the South GK and a sand system conveyor belt, 3 ft wide and over 20 ft long that raises from the floor at a 35 degree angle out of the pit and into a collector. After the sand was collected into the Max Vac, it would be transferred onto the conveyor and extracted out of the facility that way. A coworker, who was normally assigned as a clean up employee, took Employee #1 into the pit and showed him where he would clean and how to use the vacuum. The coworker then exited the pit and was cleaning around the outside of the pit as well as emptying the hopper of the Max Vac. Employee #1 was working in the pit during the time that residual sand was being transferred from the hopper to the sand system. During his work, Employee #1 was vacuuming under the conveyor system, when he contacted the conveyor with his head. Instinctively, he reached up with his left hand and his glove snagged the metal clasps of the conveyor belt, pulling his arm over the roller up to his shoulder. Upon hearing Employee #1 yell for help, coworkers entered the pit and freed Employee #1. Emergency medical personnel were summoned, and he was transported to a local medical center. At the medical center, he received treatment for a fractured arm and was hospitalized. Employee History: Employee #1 had worked for the company less than 2 months. He was normally assigned duties as a KH-5 Molder operator. On this day, he was part of a make shift clean up crew conducting holiday/annual clean up of the facility from top to bottom. He had no confined space training and had not finished his Lockout/Tagout training as an authorized employee.

Keywords: FRACTURE, ROTATING PARTS, CONFINED SPACE, BELT CONVEYOR, CLEANING, CAUGHT BY, LOCKOUT, ARM