Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126744937 - La-Z-Boy

Inspection Information - Office: Utah Division Of Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:45 on May 3, 1995, Employee #1, a 19-year-old operator of a #2 45-ton punch press who had been employed for one year at La-Z-Boy Of Utah, returned from break. He thought that he had attached the safety cables and started to operate the press. Each press is equipped with a Posson retracting safety device. When the press is activated, the cables on the Posson pull the hands clear of the press. Each time an employee starts to work, he must check the Posson, the condition of the wrist clips, and the adjustment of the cables. Employee #1 was operating the press and caught the tip of his left middle finger in the press. He called for the foreman, who disconnected the cables from his wrist. The right side was connected, and the left side still had the wrist restraint, but the cable was not connected. Employee #1 walked to the nurse's station, where he was bandaged, and was transported to the Bear River Hospital. There was no bone fracture, but a quarter inch was amputated off the tip of Employee #1's left middle finger.

Keywords: PULL BACK DEVICE, AMPUTATED, FINGER, WORK RULES, CAUGHT BY, PRESS OPERATOR, PUNCH PRESS