Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301933412 - E.R.Carpenter Company, Incorporated Dba Carpenter

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Winston-Salem

Investigation Summary

On July 29, 1998, Employee #1, of Accuforce Services, LLC, was assigned to help workers, including Employee #2, at a plant owned by Carpenter Company. At approximately 7:40 a.m., they were threading plastic film on the curtain wrapper. This is a machine that wraps plastic film around stacks of foam rubber before shipping. Some products do not require wrapping and the plastic is removed before the foam passes through the machine. A run of product that did not require plastic had just been completed and the machine had to be rethreaded before the next product went through. A coworker moved the curtain wrapper from automatic to manual mode, raised the upper head, and placed a 28 1/4 in. long 2 by 4 on the control panel side (north) of the machine to block the upper head in the raised position. Another coworker climbed to the catwalk above the machine and threaded the plastic from the top roll. Employees #1 and #2 and a coworker were threading the lower plastic up from under the machine. Employee #1 climbed onto the in-running conveyor and lay on her stomach to reach down between the conveyor and the lower stationary head to grab the plastic and pull it between them and into position. As she did this, her head was in the 28 1/4 in. gap between the upper and lower heads. Employee #2 was on the floor on the south side of the machine, reaching under it to grab the plastic. For some reason, the 2 by 4 holding the upper head came out and it closed, catching Employee #1 between the two heads. Several coworkers climbed onto the conveyor from both sides and, with great difficulty, lifted the upper head and removed Employee #1 from the machine. A steel T-bar was used to prop up the upper head while the rescue took place. Coworkers performed CPR and called for emergency medical services, but Employee #1 was pronounced dead at the scene. Employee #2 was administered first aid at the scene and then transported to Hart Industrial Clinic, where she was treated for head lacerations and then released.

Keywords: HEAD, UNSECURED, MACHINIST, WORK RULES, LACERATION, MAINTENANCE, LOCKOUT, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, FALLING OBJECT