Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1625399.015 - Samuel, Son & Co. (Usa) Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Columbus Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 4:00 a.m. on September 29, 2022, an employee was working at the back of a RHFL Line Recoiler Machine where steel packaging straps were coiled onto a module. After the steel straps were coiled onto the module, the employee was required to tape the ends down. The employee was trying to retrieve a tape gun which was stored above the recoiler machine. As he reached for the tape gun he dropped it into the machine. After the recoiler moved the module over to the turnstile a pusher arm it would then push the module onto the turnstile arm. The employee waited until the pusher arm was pushing the module onto the arm of the turnstile at which time he got down onto his hands and knees and crawled behind the pusher arm as it extended. The employee was entirely behind the pusher arm as it was returning to the home position when it caught and crushed him. The employee experienced compression asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head according to the coroner's preliminary report and was killed.

Keywords: Asphyxiated, Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Chest, Compressed By, Crushed, Engineering Controls, Head, Lack of Engineering Controls, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Machine Guarding, Machine operator, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation