Fail to Lock Out Equipment 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
What's so important about locking out equipment? Sometimes, we get so familiar with our work surroundings that we forget the potential for injury that can occur when working with the types of equipment that we have here at Augusta. This happens at lots of places. It happened at a United Technologies Automotive's Byron Center plant in Michigan the week before Christmas.
The Production Superintendant, Maintenance Supervisor, and Engineering Manager were working on a vacuum former mold. In order to troubleshoot/fix repairs while the equipment was still running, they bypassed limit switches on the doors. Rather than lock out the equipment, they put it in standby mode. What they didn't realize was that there were sensors inside that once the beams were broken would immediately push the object into the hydraulic press, simultaneously activating the press.
The Production Superintendant got into the press to make a quick adjustment, which broke the sensor beams. Three rolls pushed him into the hydraulic press where he was crushed to 1/8 of an inch - all within 3 seconds. The vacuum holes that would have normally held the object to be molded in place distributed his bodily fluids throughout the press. A file box was too large to hold the remains.
The Maintenance Supervisor and Engineering Manager witnessed the whole thing. They were standing right next to the E-stop, but could not react in time.
Yes, it is horrible. We may not have hydraulic presses here, but we do have equipment that can maim or kill if the proper precautions are not taken.
This man left behind a family. He had 3 young children, ages 5, 7, and 9. Five extra minutes to lock out the equipment would have saved his life.
How lucky do you feel today?
[http://www.hronline.com/forums/ohs/9812/msg00484.html] Submitted on 06/14/2002
Submitted by:
Stefan
Reference:
Web, Dec. 1998
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