Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310486600 - Aramark Uniform Services

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:00 a.m. on February 10, 2007, an employee, an Assistant Chief Engineer, was performing a sporadically assigned task of replacing the fabric material on the lower guide roller of the flat ironer machine. The employee was the supervisor in charge to replace the fabric pad material on the lower in-feed guide roller on the American Super-Sylon Flatwork Ironer, no further description available, with a coworker. They locked out the energy to the ironer, and removed the apron to gain access to the guide rollers. The employee and a coworker removed the old fabric pad from the lower guide roller, and cleaned the roll with wire brushes to remove the old adhesive. They applied fresh adhesive to the lower guide roller, cut the fabric pad to the desired size, and applied the pad to the guide roller. Upon completing the replacement of the pad, the lock-out devices were removed from the ironer, the ironer was reenergized, and started to check the installation. The employee noticed that the pad had developed wrinkles. This condition had never occurred in past replacements, and the wrinkles must be removed. The employee instructed the coworker to "jog" the ironer so the employee would have access to the wrinkles. When the ironer would stop the employee would smooth the lower guide roller fabric with his hands to remove the wrinkles. This process was to continue until the guide roller fabric was free of wrinkles. During this process, the employee inadvertently placed his left hand on the lower guide roller fabric before the roll had stopped catching his hand in the gap between the in-feeding upper and lower guide rollers to his mid- palm. This action crushed his hand causing the skin to rupture but not fracturing any bones. The employee assisted by other coworkers, were not able to free his hand from the rollers. The employee instructed his coworker to remove the lower guide roll flange bearing. After the bearing was removed the employee was able to remove his hand from the ironer. The employee was working with/in close proximity to his assistant (coworker). The injured employee was the supervisor of the maintenance department. The employee was transported to USC Medical Center, transferred to, treated at, and admitted to, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center for in excess of 14 days.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, CLEANING, LOCKOUT, ROLLER--MACH/PART, CAUGHT BETWEEN, LACERATION, HAND