Accident: 14457543 - Hand Injured When Caught In Power Press

THE EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING A PRESS FOR TRIM CUTTING PLASTIC CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS WITH A SINGLE BUTTON CONTROL ON A MOVABLE CABLE. THE BUTTON WAS NOT RECESSED OR GUARDED BY A RING. IT WAS SPRING LOADED, SO THAT IT WAS KEPT OFF UNLESS PRESSED BY THE OPERATOR. THE PRESS WAS A SINGLE STROKE, DIRECT DRIVE POWER PRESS WHICH STOPPED AT ANY POINT IN ITS STROKE WHEN THE CONTROL BUTTON WAS RELEASED. THE PRESS HAD BEEN KNOWN TO DRIFT. THE EMPLOYEE SAID THAT HE HAD PLACED ORNAMENTS IN THE PRESS AND HAD OPERATED A FULL STROKE. HE SAID THAT HE LAID THE CONTROL ON TOP OF A SWITCH BOX ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE PRESS. HE LAID HIS HAND ON TOP OF THE ORNAMENTS AND CUTTING DIE TO SEE IF THE CUTTER HAD CUT THROUGH THE PLASTIC MATERIAL FAR ENOUGH. THE CONTROL FELL OFF THE BOX AND LANDED, SWITCH DOWN, ON A NEARBY TABLE, ACTIVATING THE PRESS BRIEFLY. IT CAME DOWN ON HIS LEFT HAND, PRESSING THE LITTLE FINGER AND RING FINGER PORTION OF HIS HAND INTO THE CUTTER. HE SAID THAT HE COULD NOT MOVE HIS LEFT HAND AND THAT HE REACHED FOR THE CONTROL WITH HIS RIGHT HAND AND PRESSED THE BUTTON. THE PRESS WENT UP, RELEASING HIS LEFT HAND. THERE WAS A SEVERE LACERATION. IF THE PRESS BEGAN THE DOWNWARD PORTION OF ITS STROKE WHEN THE SWITCH HIT THE TABLE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE PRESS DID NOT COMPLETE THE DOWNWARD PORTION OF ITS STROKE AND SEVER THE EMPLOYEE'S HAND WHEN THE EMPLOYEE PRESSED THE BUTTON AGAIN. IT MAY BE THAT ON THE FIRST PRESS ACTIVATION, THE PRESS DID NOT COMPLETE THE FULL UPWARD PORTION OF ITS STROKE, AND WHEN THE SWITCH HIT THE TABLE IT SOMEHOW DRIFTED BACK DOWN AS THE EMPLOYEE PLACED HIS HAND ON THE CUTTER. WHEN THEN EMPLOYEE PRESSED THE BUTTON AGAIN, THE PRESS COMPLTETED THE UPWARD MOTION AND RELEASED THE EMPLOYEE'S HAND.

power press, laceration, hand, hand control, direct drive