OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221561814

3M COMPANY

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, WI— 2023-05-09T00:00:00

Event: Caught Between, Caught In, Crushed, Extrusion, Head, Interlock, Lockout/Tagout, Machine Guarding, Machine operator, Nip Point, Roller--Mach/Part, Rotating Parts, Training
NAICS: 327910
Inspection type: Federal Agency
Activity number: #346690084
Employer profile: 3M COMPANY
Summary number: 221561814
Report ID: 0523300

Event description

Employee is killed when caught in operating rollers of extru

Investigation abstract

At 6:30 a.m. on May 9, 2023, Employee #1, a machine operator, was setting up an located at the front of the rollers, where the employees stand to guide the tow through the rollers during set up/thread up. The door is opened or in the raised position while employees thread the tow through the rollers at the roll station. Employee #1, machine operator, was assisting with setting up the 2A fiber extrusion line. Employee #1 was in training and assisted with set up and treading the machine prior to and was observing the rollers at roller station 1, when employee 1 became caught in or between the material and rollers, resulting in traumatic head injuries. Employee #1 was killed. The event occurred indoors, and weather was likely not a factor contributing to the event. Machine guarding that did not fully protect employees from moving machinery, ingoing nip extrusion line threading material through rollers at roller station 1 of the points, rotating parts, and crushing hazards and not utilizing hazardous energy control procedures are factors that likely contributed to the event. line. A step of the set up involves employees threading, by hand, the material through roll stations (pull stations). The rollers of the roll station are in operation/moving during thread up/set up. The machine is not turned off or shut down. The rolls are programmed to turn/rotate at certain speeds so the desired end product is satisfactory and so the fibers don't break or wrap up. Speeds of the rollers at roll station 1 were programmed to be 96 feet per minute (fpm). There is an interlocked physical safety gate/door at roll station 1

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 57 F

Event type
2

Occupation code
779

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