Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301336608 - Endpak Packaging Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on September 30, 2005, an employee, according to the manager, opened the yellow cover of bag-making machine Number 100, operating at 240 volts. The employee started cleaning the interior moving rolls with a rag. His hand was caught in the rolls, resulting in crushing injuries to three fingers on right hand. He was hospitalized for seven days at USC Medical Center. The official stated that the employee was not supposed to clean the moving rolls inside the machine but chose to do so on his own. The employee was interviewed at a later date in his attorney's office and stated that he was cleaning the moving drums of the machine with a rag, when his fingers were pinched in the drums. He also stated that he was not trained in lockout and tagout safety rules and given no hand brush for the cleaning job. He further stated that he cleaned the machine in same manner about once per month whenever the machine malfunctioned. The machine was inspected with management officials during walk around in production area, and controls on the machine were found to be functioning properly at inspection time. The machine had been in use in work place for about 30 years, according to the plant manager who participated in the inspection.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, CLEANING, LOCKOUT, ROLLER--MACH/PART, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED