Abstract
A 33-year-old textile worker (the victim) died after being pinned between a bobbin lift/dump and a guardrail upright. The victim was operating the bobbin lift/dump in the yarn preparation department of the plant. Empty bobbins were collected in hoppers that were manually pushed up a ramp onto the lift/dump. The lift/dump was then raised and rotated in a counterclockwise direction, dumping the bobbins into a hopper equipped with a belt conveyor that transferred the bobbins to another area of the plant. A guardrail was placed 4 inches in front of the lift dumper. The machine was operated by reaching through the guardrail and pushing the control lever to the left or right to raise or lower the lift/dump. When released, the control lever would return to center. The lift/dump would not move unless the control lever was placed in the raise or lower position. Shortly after 11 p.m., a plant employee walking through the department spotted the victim, who was pinned in a kneeling position between the lift/dump and the guardrail. The employee did not know how to operate the machine but went to the department supervisor to tell him about the victim. A second employee entered the area, spotted the victim, then raised the lift/dump and pulled the victim clear of the machine. The supervisor ran to the victim, then returned to his office and called 911. The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responded and transported the victim to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. NIOSH investigators concluded that to help prevent similar incidents, employers should: 1) evaluate existing machine guarding to identify potential pinch points and modify guarding to eliminate identified pinch points; 2) continuously stress the importance of strict adherence to established safe work procedures; 3) evaluate the practice of allowing workers to work alone in their work areas.
