Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300787793 - Signet Armorlite

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

On November 7, 2001, Employee #1, a regular employee of optical lens manufacturer Signet Armorlite, Inc., was using a gasket stripping machine, which was manufactured by the employer, to strip plastic optical lens from molds. This is done by inserting the mold and lens into a gaskets stripping machine. The employee then pulls down a guard with one hand. This activates the machine. The machine then sends an air pressure ram down with approximately 80 PSI, which removes the lens from the gasket mold. The machine guards are designed and adjusted so that an employee's hand and fingers can still get into the point of operation area. Employee #1 was operating this machine and was standing at the front of it at the operating position. The equipment was in Casting Area Number 4 and machine ID is 25-25-30. When Employee #1 put her hand into the point of operation area, she sustained trauma to her left hand and two fingers. The fingertip of the fourth finger of the left hand) had to be amputated due to the trauma. The causal factor is that the guard was not designed to prevent employee's fingers from entering the point of operation during the machine's operation cycle.

Keywords: STRIPPING MACHINE, AMPUTATED, GASKET, FINGER, GUARD, PISTON, HAND, RAM