NATIONAL POLY PRODUCTS, INC.

EMPLOYEE'S ARMS CAUGHT BETWEEN ROLLERS

AT APPROXIMATELY 11:45 AM ON MARCH 12, 1986, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS GIVEN THE JOB OF CL EANING RESIDUE FROM THE SURFACE OF A RUBBER ROLLER ON THE CASTLINE MACHINE (LOCA TED IN THE POLYETHYLENE FILM DEPARTMENT). HE WAS USING A SMALL RUBBER BLOCK, HEL D IN HIS RIGHT HAND, TO CLEAN THE ROLLER. HE WAS USING HIS LEFT HAND TO GRIP HIS RIGHT WRIST SO THAT HE COULD HOLD THE BLOCK STEADY. SUDDENLY, THE RUBBER BLOCK CONTACTED A STICKY MATERIAL ON THE ROLLER. THE BLOCK, ALONG WITH EMPLOYEE #1'S H ANDS AND ARMS, WERE PULLED INTO THE INRUNNING NIP POINT BETWEEN THE RUBBER ROLLE R AND THE ADJACENT EMBOSSING ROLLER. EMPLOYEE #1 SUSTAINED SEVERE BURNS TO BOTH ARMS ABOVE THE ELBOWS DUE TO THE HEAT CONDUCTED FROM THE EMBOSSING ROLLER. HE WA S NOT REMOVED FROM BETWEEN THE ROLLERS FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES (BY SEVERAL SUPERVIS ORS). THE ROLLERS WERE 16 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND WERE ROTATING AT A SPEED OF APP ROXIMATELY 104 RPM. THE ROLLERS WERE LOCATED 52 INCHES ABOVE FLOOR LEVEL. THE SP ACE BETWEEN THE ROLLERS WAS 2 1/8 INCHES.