Machine Safety Fatality Reports

Transcription

1 Unguarded Rollers Trap Operator Machine Safety Fatality Reports A worker was running a machine called a slitter as part of a paper cup manufacturing operation. The press-like machine had heavy rollers. It was 2:30 a.m.... the worker was putting in overtime after his usual 3 to 11 p.m. shift. It was usual for him to work alone in this area of the plant. No one knows exactly what happened, but somehow his sweatshirt became entangled in the rollers. He was pulled into the machinery where he was tumbled around violently. The first co-worker to discover him did not know how to stop the machine. He ran to get the closest supervisor, nearly 200 feet away. The victim appeared to have died instantly, and the actual cause of death was later determined to be a ruptured artery in his chest and multiple trauma. The company had a policy prohibiting loose clothing, jewelry and unrestrained long hair to prevent entanglement incidents. There were prominent "stop" buttons located on the machine. There was a policy prohibiting adjustments of the machinery without first turning it off, but the equipment lacked a machine guard to prevent accidental contact. After the fatality, a guard was put into place over the exposed roller, and an electric eye was installed to stop the machine if someone got too close. In addition, a key-lockout procedure was put into place to prevent unintentional start-up of the machinery. Employees were given safety training including how to shut off the machinery in an emergency. Unguarded machinery is deadly. It can make the smallest mistake your last mistake. Ditching Machine Veers Into Operator Getting caught between two diesel-operated ditching machines caused fatal injuries at a construction equipment salvage business. The victim was working alone in the scrap yard he owned. He was using a mobile ditch-drilling machine to move a piece of I-beam about seven feet (two meters) long and weighing about 440 pounds (200 kilograms). He chained the steel beam to the bucket and engaged the drive mechanism. Rather than ride on the moving machine, he walked beside it over the rough packed dirt surface of the yard. His coveralls became caught on the horizontal auger of the stationary ditching machine. Distracted, he did not see the other machine veer toward him. He was temporarily crushed between the two, but the mobile machine veered away and he was able to escape. He climbed

2 onto the moving machine and turned off the key, then called for help from a neighboring business owner. No one saw the incident, but before he died in a hospital six days later, the victim told investigators how it happened. It's natural to adopt a casual attitude toward workplace hazards such as mobile equipment when a person has worked with them for a long time. Fatalities such as this remind us to stay on guard no matter how comfortable we feel with our work environment. In this case, the victim should have been operating the machine from the cab as instructed by the manufacturer's manual. This incident is also a reminder about the danger of getting clothes caught in equipment, which in this case distracted this victim so that he did not see the moving machine swerve toward him. Machinery Crushes Workers A mechanic was killed when a bus fell on him. He apparently had used a 12-ton bottle jack under the differential to raise the rear of the 35,000-pound (15,875-kilogram) bus. It appeared that he then crawled under the bus to work on the suspension. The bottle jack slid forward and the bus fell, crushing him. In a similar incident, a farmer was crushed when a stock shredder he was working on fell on him. He had hydraulically raised the shredder and was working underneath without having placed blocks under it. The hydraulic shutoff valves to the tractor, to which the shredder was attached, were not shut off. Apparently the tractor's hydraulic system leaked at the connection which caused the shredder to slowly fall on him. He was declared dead at the scene. Be sure that all equipment with a potential to fall is properly jacked or blocked before you work under it. Ensure that you follow manufacturers' instructions when raising and securing equipment. Drill Press Strangles Operator A man was strangled after his shirt-sleeve was caught by the rotating drill bit of a drill press he was operating. The victim was drilling holes into steel plates at a foundry. The task was not one of the man's regular jobs. Evidence indicated that while he was clamping a metal plate to the drill press table, the drill bit caught the victim's sleeve and tightened around his neck.

3 It was estimated the victim had been caught in the press for more than an hour before coworkers found him. Investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar incidents, employers should: Guard moving machine parts to prevent the operator from having any part of his body in the danger zone during the operating cycle. If machinery is older and not equipped with guards, the manufacturer can recommend appropriate guards available. Instruct employees to have the drill spindle engaged only when ready to start drilling, not while setting up work clamps. Ensure drill presses and similar equipment have emergency stops and switches accessible from the operating position. Develop, implement and enforce a safety program that includes training on all equipment even if infrequently used. Ball Bearing Shatters Fatality-Free Status A West Virginia company that had not experienced a worker fatality since April 1996 lost a longtime employee in late May 2007 after a ball bearing shot out of a valve and pierced the worker's side. Maintenance worker Roger Lee Stephens, a 57- year-old married father of four children, had been employed at Special Metals Corporation in Huntington, WV, since Another worker who had been helping him escaped injury. Stephens was servicing a hydraulic bearing cap puller when a ball bearing was suddenly ejected at high velocity. A company spokeswoman said Special Metals has a low injury rate and described the incident as an "extraordinary situation." The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is investigating the cause of the fatality and the company is also conducting its own investigation. Stephens, of Wayne, WV, was a member of the Emergency Response Team. He also was a member and deacon of Canada Chapel in Wayne.

4 Hands Caught in Nip Point Workers were rethreading paper rolls on the reel stand in a paperboard manufacturing plant. As they placed the paper on the rotating bottom roll, both got their hands caught in the nip point. One pulled his hand out and was able to hit the stop button. The other was pulled into the nip point and crushed. Lack of a machine guard to keep workers away from the nip point created by the full reels was a factor in this accident. Laborer Sucked Into Portable Mortar Mixer Co-workers saw an 18-year-old laborer being pulled between the rotating paddles of a portable mortar mixer. The young worker was working at a residential construction site, cleaning the mixer for the next day s work, when his arm became entangled in the blades and he was sucked in. An onlooker was unable to disengage the gears and by the time another worker responded it was too late. The young man died. Consider steps you can take to protect yourself and ensure your worksite is a safe one. Ask yourself these questions: Do you understand how the machinery you use operates? Have you received training that will allow you to operate the machinery safely and to identify hazards? Does your worksite have a written safety program? Does the program identify hazards for each job task and outline safe work procedures? Are procedures in place to ensure equipment is operating in accordance with the manufacturer s specified procedures? Are warning labels clearly visible on all machines? Do workers at your worksite review and practice the company s lockout and tagout program regularly? Is an engine-kill switch mounted and plainly visible on all machines? A kill switch makes it easy for workers to stop machinery quickly.

5 Veteran Lumberman Takes Fatal Shortcut A worker filling a lumber order was fatally crushed when a beam fell on him, causing multiple traumatic injuries to his abdomen and pelvis. The victim, a man with 15 years experience with this employer, was using a forklift to retrieve a 60-foot (18-meter) laminated beam from beneath two larger beams that weighed about 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) each when the accident occurred. He should have pulled the two large beams and stacked them elsewhere before pulling the beam he needed. However, he took a fatal shortcut and attempted to pull the shorter beam out from underneath the larger beams. Co-workers heard the man s screams and found him conscious with one end of the beam resting on top of him. Paramedics responded quickly and transported him to the hospital where he died after undergoing emergency surgery. The investigator recommended that: Employees receive training regarding the hazards related to loading and unloading stacks of lumber. The company s safety program be evaluated to incorporate training that emphasizes the importance of identifying and controlling hazards. Employees work in pairs when retrieving lumber from under a stack. Drive Shaft Strikes Operator A worker on a portable sawmill was killed when he was hit in the head by an unguarded drive shaft that had been displaced by the impact of heavy equipment working in the area. A mobile log loader machine backed into a sawmill and knocked it off its support blocks. This allowed the unguarded, rotating drive shaft between the sawmill and the generator to break free and hit the victim. The operator of the log loader was backing up the machine in poor visibility when the collision occurred. The drive shaft was not protected by a guard to prevent it from breaking free and flying away from the portable sawmill and generator. A temporary barrier around the portable mill could have prevented this fatal injury. To avoid this and other types of injuries involving portable sawmills, consider the following guidelines:

6 Block and level all sawmill components properly to prevent movement from vibration and impact. Maintain and inspect all equipment regularly. Keep all electrical connections and cables in good repair. Keep adequate guarding on the saw blade to prevent accidental contact with workers. Wear the proper personal protective equipment, including hardhats, safety boots, eye protection, hearing protection and hand protection. Maintain adequate lighting in the work area. Make sure the power generator has an easily accessible kill switch so it can be turned off instantly. Have a fully charged fire extinguisher immediately available. Keep an adequate first aid kit. Have a means of summoning help and have emergency transportation available.