PACE DAIRY FOOD CO.

EMPLOYEE'S FINGER TIPS AMPUTATED BY OVERWRAP MACHINE

EMPLOYEE #1 WAS SETTING UP THE FMC, MODEL 1600, SERIAL #3323 ON LINE 3 OF THE CH EESE PROCESS DEPARTMENT. THIS MACHINE WRAPS INDIVIDUAL CHEESE SLICES IN PLASTIC OVERWRAP. A WEB OF PLASTIC HAS TO BE THREADED THROUGH THE MACHINE INTO THE CRIMP ERS AND SEALING HEADS. A METAL AND PLASTIC GUARD OVER THESE HEADS WAS REMOVED BY THE OPERATOR. THE MACHINE IS SUPPOSED TO BE JOGGED IN ORDER TO THREAD THE PLAST IC WEB INTO THE CRIMPERS. EMPLOYEE #1 USED HIS LEFT HAND TO JOG THE MACHINE WHIL E PUSHING THE PRODUCT WITH HIS RIGHT HAND. THE THIRD AND FOURTH FINGERS OF HIS R IGHT HAND WERE CAUGHT BY THE FIRST ROTATING CRIMPER HEAD AND THE FINGERTIPS AMPU TATED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT AN INTERLOCK SWITCH HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE COVE R (OR GUARD) ASSEMBLY BY THE EMPLOYER. IF THE INTERLOCK HAD BEEN PRESENT AND FUN TIONING PROPERLY, THE MACHINE WOULD NOT HAVE OPERATED UNLESS THE COVER WAS IN PL ACE. IT IS NOT NECCESSARY TO REMOVE THE COVER IN ORDER TO PROPERLY FEED THE PLAS TIC WRAP. THE INTERLOCKS ON TWO SIMILAR MACHINES HAD ALSO BEEN REMOVED. THE EMPL OYER HAS SINCE REPLACED THE INTERLOCKS AND WILL INSTRUCT EMPLOYEES IN THE PROPER THREADING METHOD.