Inspection Detail

Inspection: 111915161 - Snider Lumber Product

Inspection Information - Office: Modesto District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:40 p.m. on April 16, 1990, Employee #1 was working at the tail end of the #5 cut-off machine. After the boards came off the machine, they slid down an incline onto a metal table, where he sorted them by grade. The rejects were pushed across the table and fell onto a conveyor that took them out of the log mill. The conveyor was used along the entire line of cut-off saws. A coworker to the left of Employee #1 accidentally pushed a good board into the conveyor, and started heading toward the opening in the conveyor system designated for retrieving good stock. As the board passed in front of Employee #1's location, he reached into the conveyor to retrieve it. His right little finger became caught between the piece of lumber and his work table, resulting in a fracture and severe lacerations. Employee #1 had been instructed and trained on the safe and proper way to retrieve good lumber that had fallen onto the conveyor. The accident was caused by Employee #1's unsafe actions and not by a violation of a safety order.

Keywords: BOARD, FRACTURE, FINGER, WORK RULES, CAUGHT BETWEEN, LACERATION, CONVEYOR