Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310198171 - Select Staffing

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

On July 9, 2007, an employee was working as a machine operator in the Machine Shop, Windows area, on second shift between 3:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The employee was operating one of the four Pines Extrusion Bending Machines, when another operator on Bending Machine Number 3, called him over to his machine because the pieces he was bending were not coming out right. He went over to Bending Machine Number 3, and told the operator to press the start button, which he did. At the time, the employee had placed his right hand on the machine and it was resting on top of the clamp when the operator activated the machine. The employee's right ring finger was smashed between the moving clamp and the follower bar, resulting in amputation of the right ring finger below the first joint. The employee was taken to the supervisor's office and was told to wait there until the supervisor returned. When the supervisor got there, he told him to wait until the representative from Select got there. They waited for about 30 minutes until the supervisor told a coworker to take him to Valley Presbyterian Hospital, where he was examined. Upon arrival, they were told there was no hand specialist available at the hospital to treat his injury and that he should go either to UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, or L.A. County USC Medical Center, Los Angeles. He was driven to UCLA Medical Center by the coworker, where he was told they could not reattach the amputated portion of the finger because they did not have a surgery team there for that type of finger injury. They took x-rays and put some stitches on top of his finger. The next day he was taken to Valley Occupational Center, where he was evaluated by a doctor and was told to go to Dr. Alarick Yung. He went to Dr. Yung and had surgery on his finger two days after the accident. The employee was not hospitalized.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, MACHINE OPERATOR, BENDING MACHINE, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED