Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312662349 - California Am Forge

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on September 10, 2009, Employee #1 was working in the forging shop. He was seating a friction-slip clamp ring on the flywheel of a forging press. A coworker used an air impact wrench to tighten a series of hold down bolts around the perimeter of ring. The 7-ft diameter, 500 lb ring did not seat properly. Employee #1 used a sledge hammer to give the ring a little extra pressure but was not successful. He placed his left fingers between the ring and flywheel to feel for any obstruction. When the ring suddenly slammed shut, the flywheel crushed the tips of three fingers. He was hospitalized at an industrial medical clinic for three hours for treatment of his crushed fingers and the amputation of his left ring finger.

Keywords: WHEEL, AMPUTATED, FINGER, WORK RULES, RING, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, LACERATION, HAND TOOL