Accident: 170384523 - Fingers Amputated In Die Cast Machine

Employee #1 was operating a Prince 450 ton hydraulic die cast machine. The die on the machine was vertical, and on the right side of it was a butt plate through which an injector passed molten aluminum into the die when it was closed. Employee #1 put the die cast machine in manual mode so he could open and close the die with one hand. The plunger was sticking due to build-up of slag, so Employee #1 put a metal rod into the plunger opening and held it steady. He then pressed a button to close the die. His hand holding the rod in the plunger area was in the point of operation when the die closed, amputating three of his fingers.

casting die, die casting machine, finger, amputated, point of operation, stuck, work rules

Accident: 201270238 - Killed When Crushed By Casting

Employee #1, a machine operator, was standing on a table top to attach an overhead crane chain. He directed a coworker to energize the spindle top to rotate the machine part. When the machine energized, he was thrown to the floor and the casting fell on top of him. Employee #1 was killed.

crane, fall, falling object, crushed, struck by, work rules, casting, overhead crane, unsecured

Accident: 700005 - Killed When Struck By Cylinder Cover

Employee #1 was walking through a department where two coworkers were operating a 4,000 lb steam forging hammer. The ram/piston assembly returned to its top position with such force that it struck the top of the machine cylinder, and the cylinder cover and internal steam-cushioned plunger were dislodged. Employee #1 was struck by the cover and killed. A metallurgical analysis of the cylinder wall found a substandard casting and a pre-existing crack. The secondary securing means for the cover (a single 5/8 in. wire rope) failed to restrain it and prevent flying parts.

cylinder, cover, struck by, casting, equipment failure, flying object, inadequate maint

Accident: 201140092 - Burned While Operating Metal Furnace

Employee #1 was working for a company that manufactured metal parts using die casting operations in which scrap metal was melted in furnaces and then poured into molds. At approximately 5:00 a.m. on May 31, 1996, he was operating a metal furnace when he noticed some scrap metal pieces had bridged up. Employee #1 pushed down on the metal pieces with a metal rod, which caused the flames to flare up. He suffered first- and second-degree burns to his face and neck and was taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital; he was later transferred to UCI Medical Center. Employee #1 was not wearing a face shield.

die casting machine, scrap metal, fire, face, neck, burn, high temperature, work rules, ppe, melting furnace

Accident: 14375711 - Killed When Crushed By Falling Steel Casting

At approximately 4:00 p.m. on May 15, 1996, Employee #1 was in the shotblast unloading area of Department 03 using an overhead hoist to unload a casting. He was working between stacked castings and the edge of a pit. The casting bolster had a poured weight of 2,020 lb and a finished weight of 1,586 lb. The casting became detached from the hook and fell on top of Employee #1's chest, killing him.

steel, casting, off loading, hoisting mechanism, equipment failure, falling object, struck by, chest, crushed