Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301307740 - Boring Specialties, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Houston North Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:00 p.m. on April 23, 1997, Employee #1 and the machine operator working on a trepanner machine. They placed the steady rest sleeves on the bar stock and hoisted the bar stock onto the trepan machine. They then secured the bar stock to the chuck. The two operators set up and aligned the equipment and bar stock in order to begin trepanning. The steady rest, which covered the steady rest sleeve, was adjusted along the length of the trepan machine to securely and accurately hold the bar stock during trepanning. The steady rests contained protruding bolts and indentations. The machine was operating at approximately 150 rpm during the alignment of the steady rests and drills. During the alignments, the steady rests were open. Once the machine and the bar stock were aligned, Employee #1 reached up and over the rotating bar stock to close the steady rest over the steady rest sleeve so that he could bring the machine up to 300 rpm. Employee #1 reached up to the steady rest and the bottom of his loose fitting jacket was caught by the rotating steady rest sleeve. He was pulled into the machine resulting in the amputation of his right arm at the shoulder from his body. Rescue services responded and transported him to Herman Hospital. He died 3 days later at approximately 8:00 p.m. on April 26, 1997 from a blood clot.

Keywords: CLOTHING, BLOOD CLOT, ROTATING PARTS, AMPUTATED, SHOULDER, BOLT, ARM, GRINDING MACHINE, UNGUARDED