Inspection Detail

Inspection: 102976776 - Meta-Mold - Division Of Amcast Industrial Corp.

Inspection Information - Office: Milwaukee Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:15 p.m. on February 22, 1992, Employee #1 was performing his normal duties on an aluminum casting machine. The arrangement consisted of ten permanent mold die sets mounted on the circumference of a 20 ft in diameter turntable. As each die set indexed to the holding furnace, it automatically tipped to the horizontal, and the reservoir would be filled when the set stopped at the furnace. After automatic filling of the reservoir, the die set would index, and the next set would be filled. At the same time, the first set would slowly tip to vertical, and the molten aluminum would fill the set (mold). Employee #1 would normally make sure the mold halves were clean and remove any foil (or flash from the previous pour) before the die set tipped down. Another caster would have already removed the small castings. Although there were no witnesses, Employee #1 apparently was caught between the stationary holding furnace and the indexing die set, which crushed and lacerated his liver. He was killed. An interlocked bar/gate at the pinch point was not contacted by the employee.

Keywords: LIVER, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, LACERATION, DIE CASTING MACHINE