Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314039413 - Caterpillar, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Naperville Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:50 a.m. on October 9, 2010, Employee #1 was a machine operator at Caterpillar, Inc. He was operating an Eagle Precision Technologies Electric Tube End Forming Machine, Model Number I/O-E-E-3000, Serial Number 554142. The point of operation on the machine compressed metal tubes horizontally to form an O-ring on the end. The machine was operated by a foot pedal that initiated clamping of the die around the tube followed by the point of operation ram compression. There was a plastic, scissor-like guard at the opening of the machine that was designed to be pushed up and away from the opening by the tubes upon insertion into the die. Employee #1 was putting an O-ring on the other end of a tube that already had one. He manually inserted an 8-in. long by 1.5-in. diameter tube into the die, O-ring end first, and positioned it so that the O-ring on the front end of the tube would drop down into a groove in the die. The tube was shorter than usual and Employee #1 had difficulty determining if it was seated properly in the die. He could not see through the plastic guard. He moved the guard with his left hand and reached into the die area with his right hand. Employee #1 was injured when he stepped on the foot pedal and activated the closing of the die. His right index finger was caught between the die and the tube which caused an amputation just above the second knuckle. Employee #1 was not hospitalized.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, GUARD, MACHINE OPERATOR, BENDING MACHINE, METAL PIPE