Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Unette Corporation, 1578 Sussex Turnpike, RANDOLPH, NEW JERSEY 07869
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
An employee was conducting mechanical maintenance on a flexible packing machine when packaging plastic became intertwined and was not sealing/cutting correctly. His right hand contacted the machine's cutting shears, amputating his right index fingertip. The machine was not properly guarded or locked/tagged out at the time.
At approximately 7:50 AM, an employee was running a machine and noticed that the film was not going through the machine correctly to form a package. She went to push the film down through the hole and the knife plate/blade amputated her fingertip.
On January 29, 2020, an employee operating a stand-up forklift in the warehouse struck a parked forklift, resulting in a left foot injury and the amputation of two toes.
Two employees were repairing the hydraulic engagement pins on a rented front-end wheel loader. The machine controls were activated to move the attachment pins and an employee's finger was caught between the pins and the bushings. Their right index finger was partially amputated.
An employee was cleaning the conveyor on a piece of equipment when they slipped and their right hand was pulled into the chain sprocket. The employee's fifth fingertip was amputated.
An employee was throwing blankets onto a blanket folding and stacking machine. A blanket got stuck in the machine and she attempted to remove it when the machine contacted her right little finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 326199)
An employee was operating a drill and tap machine. He was placing a part with his right hand and removing a part coming in on the left side. He saw a part that was crooked and went to straighten it. The machine clamped down on his left index finger, degloving the top part of the finger and resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee was performing maintenance on a roll cutting machine in a warehouse. The employee was removing excess grease from the bearings when the machine's chain caught their right index finger. The fingertip was amputated by the chain and sprocket.
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An employee assisted in cleaning material from a conveyor pit. After the pit was cleaned, the employee proceeded to replace metal safety plates to ensure other employees did not fall into the pit. While replacing one of the last plates, the employee mis-stepped and fell approximately 5 feet into the pit. The employee was hospitalized with back/side bruising, elbow bruising, bone bruises, and/or fractured ribs.
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