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At around 11:55 p.m. on July 28, 2003, Employee #1, a maintenance worker with Lifetime Products, was found crushed under a pneumatic lift table which was under approximately 3500 PSI hydraulic pressure. The accident occurred in the robot cage, which is surrounded by a chain-link fence and a gate which was interlocked to shut down the robot while it was open. The robot was not running when the compliance officer arrived. In addition to the robot, the cage is surrounded a pneumatic lift table which is used to raise or lower stacks of products coming off the assembly line. The products, which were in cardboard boxes, were placed on the lift table by the robot. Once on the lift table, the products would be raised or lowered the correct location for a cardboard sleeve to be stapled to them. Evidence indicated that Employee #1 was working on the staplers. A box of staples and a set of Allen wrenches were located next to the lift table and staplers. One of the Allen wrenches was removed from the set and was laying on the floor next to where Employee #1 was found. This Allen wrench fit the adjustment screws on the staplers. A coworker stated that he heard the staple guns firing ten-round bursts within a few minutes of when the accident occurred, indicating that someone was working on the staplers. It was not determined during the inspection how the lift table was activated while Employee #1 was underneath it, but it apparently trapped him while he was attempting to exit the pit underneath the table. The medical examiners report indicates that Employee #1 died as a result of compressional asphyxia. A subsequent investigation was conducted by Lifetime Products. This investigation, dated August 4, 2003, indicated that the lift table may have been activated by the stapler linear slide being manually moved to the full retract position, triggering the limit switch. By triggering the limit switch, the table moved to the down position toward the bottom limit switch, trapping Employee #1.
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