Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305354789 - Continuous Coating

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

On September 9, 2004, Employee #1 was operating a 3-stage machine on a corner bead forming line to make corner strips for use in the construction industry. The machine took 2.5-inch-wide by 0.014-inch-thick metal strips from a spool. The first stage would punch holes in the strip. The strip would then be fed into a chopper unit, which would cut the strip into preset lengths. The strip would then enter a roll former, which would bend it to form a rounded corner strip. The machine was malfunctioning due to a set of loose guide posts at the feed point for the roll former unit. Employee #1 turned the feed motor off and was trying to pull out a jammed metal strip when he accidentally flipped the switch and turned the feed motor back on. The strip was pulled forward and the index and middle fingers of his right hand became caught between the metal strip and a roller, which was a part of a feed mechanism at the entrance to the chopper unit of the machine. He suffered deep lacerations to his fingers and was hospitalized for 2 days. The feed mechanism consisted of a set of two horizontal rollers and four vertical guide rollers. The metal strip moved on top of the horizontal rollers and between the two pairs of the vertical guide rollers. After that, the strip would enter between two additional horizontally rotating rollers before entering into the chopper unit. At the time of the accident, the machine had a cover made of metal and Plexiglas, which covered only the half of the feed mechanism. The first pair of vertical rollers, where Employee #1 was injured, was not protected.

Keywords: FINGER, GUARD, JAMMED, LOCKOUT, CAUGHT BETWEEN, LACERATION, METAL STRIP, FORMING MACHINE