Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126074681 - Vest Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:56 a.m. on August 4, 2000, Employee #1 was pulling tubing onto a lift table at the cu-off end of mill #2. He and three coworkers were taking turns operating the east section of the lift table, driving the forklift, pulling 20 ft-long square tubing onto the lift table, and bundling 64 metal tubes together. As he was pulling tubing onto the lift table, Employee #1 saw that some tubing, after being cut from the mill, was shooting slightly outside the backstop of the east lift table. To redirect the tubing properly, he stood on top of the west lift table, with his right foot partially under the west end of the east lift table, and pushed the tube endings onto the east lift table. Employee #1's right foot was still under the lift table when the operator at the east end lowered the lift table to accommodate more tubing, crushing his foot. He screamed for help and the coworker immediately raised the lift table, enabling him to withdraw his foot. Employee #1 removed his safety boot and found his second toe had been partially amputated and was hanging off his foot. He sat close to the equipment and waited for paramedics, who transported him to the emergency unit at St. Francis Hospital. The accident was caused by improper guarding of the table when it was moving. Employee #1 normally worked at mill #4, but on the day of the accident he was assigned to mill #2, which was larger. Mill #2 was configured with an alpha flying ram cut-off mill AFR-4004-48-45, serial #177, with four conveyors. The lift table was 9 in. high at its lowest position and 36 in. high when raised. It's travel time between lowest and highest position was 30 seconds, powered by an internal 2 HP, 440-volt, 3 phase 60 hz power unit.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, WORK RULES, MECH MAT HANDLING, TOE, COMMUNICATION, UNGUARDED, FOOT