A Shredder Doesn't Know The Difference
How Much of YOU Can a Shredder Shred, If a Shredder is Set to Shred?
December 2006
With a headline like that, you know this story is going to be.... well... hard to read. Plastic, wood, an arm here, a leg there... the shredder in this story doesn't really know the difference. Turn it on.. it shreds, and shreds. The horrific injuries suffered by a shredder operator earlier this year are a stark reminder to employers and employees alike, that workplace health and safety must be taken seriously. This accident happened to a guy who had done the same thing over and over (albeit, the wrong thing), for a long time.. a routine that he falsely believed was not going to hurt him. Sadly, it did. It's a safe bet that this machine operator no longer believes, "It Can't Happen To Me".
Company X employee Christopher X had his legs and an arm amputated after he was dragged into the cutting discs of the company’s green waste shredder. The company was fined and ordered to pay reparations after being convicted and sentenced for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that Mr X was not exposed to hazards arising out of the operation of the shredder.
A service manager for the company described the machine as “a disaster waiting to happen”.
There was insufficient guarding to ensure operators could not access the dangerous parts of the machine while it was operating. This was exacerbated by the fact that it was often necessary for operators to enter the hopper of the shredder to unjam the cutting discs.
While attempting to clear a machine jam, the man got his foot caught in the rotating cutting discs, and was dragged into them. Fellow employees heard him calling for help and raised the alarm. The shredder was able to be stopped, however Mr X was trapped in the cutting discs for more than an hour. Two of his limbs had to be amputated in order to free him. (folks, read it again... they amputated is limbs in order to get him out!)
“While there were a number of methods which could be used for removing a blockage from the cutting discs, the injured employee thought that the only way to unblock a jam was to get into the hopper of the shredder while the cutting discs were going and try and move the blockage with his feet, which was clearly not a safe practice,” a company official said.
He advised the investigators that he would climb into the hopper of the shredder while the cutting discs were operating ‘about every other time’ he used it. With the best of intentions, Mr X appears to have adopted this extremely dangerous work method by default, as he could see no other way of unjamming the cutting discs. There were no documented guidelines or procedures for clearing blockages, which should have been a given for this type of operation.
(Now is a good time to remind readers that employees have the right to refuse to carry out work that they believe is inherently unsafe. Also, employers cannot always expect or assume that employees know the right or safe way to do the job. )
The company had identified issues with the guarding of the shredder as far back as June 2004, a company official admitted. The company’s health and safety manager had at that time raised concerns about access and guarding, and recommended modifications to make it safe for employees. None of the recommended modifications had been made as at the time of the accident. (herein lies the ultimate frustration of a safety professional... occasionally we do get it right).
Accident Causes:
1. The shredder was not adequately guarded to protect the employee from entering the hopper while it was operating.
2. There were no posted or written standard operating procedures on the proper operation of the equipment.
Safe Work Practices:
1. Guard your equipment properly, to prevent someone from placing body parts in front of moving equipment parts.
2. Develop, test and post standard operating procedures that identify the safety features of machinery.
3. Train employees on the proper use and shut down procedures of machinery.
4. Employees should speak up about procedures that are ultimately unsafe.
5. Repair safety features when called-out. Respond quickly to safety related work orders.
6. Never get complacent around equipment. Machines hurt people. It CAN happen to you.
December 2006
With a headline like that, you know this story is going to be.... well... hard to read. Plastic, wood, an arm here, a leg there... the shredder in this story doesn't really know the difference. Turn it on.. it shreds, and shreds. The horrific injuries suffered by a shredder operator earlier this year are a stark reminder to employers and employees alike, that workplace health and safety must be taken seriously. This accident happened to a guy who had done the same thing over and over (albeit, the wrong thing), for a long time.. a routine that he falsely believed was not going to hurt him. Sadly, it did. It's a safe bet that this machine operator no longer believes, "It Can't Happen To Me".
Company X employee Christopher X had his legs and an arm amputated after he was dragged into the cutting discs of the company’s green waste shredder. The company was fined and ordered to pay reparations after being convicted and sentenced for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that Mr X was not exposed to hazards arising out of the operation of the shredder.
A service manager for the company described the machine as “a disaster waiting to happen”.
There was insufficient guarding to ensure operators could not access the dangerous parts of the machine while it was operating. This was exacerbated by the fact that it was often necessary for operators to enter the hopper of the shredder to unjam the cutting discs.
While attempting to clear a machine jam, the man got his foot caught in the rotating cutting discs, and was dragged into them. Fellow employees heard him calling for help and raised the alarm. The shredder was able to be stopped, however Mr X was trapped in the cutting discs for more than an hour. Two of his limbs had to be amputated in order to free him. (folks, read it again... they amputated is limbs in order to get him out!)
“While there were a number of methods which could be used for removing a blockage from the cutting discs, the injured employee thought that the only way to unblock a jam was to get into the hopper of the shredder while the cutting discs were going and try and move the blockage with his feet, which was clearly not a safe practice,” a company official said.
He advised the investigators that he would climb into the hopper of the shredder while the cutting discs were operating ‘about every other time’ he used it. With the best of intentions, Mr X appears to have adopted this extremely dangerous work method by default, as he could see no other way of unjamming the cutting discs. There were no documented guidelines or procedures for clearing blockages, which should have been a given for this type of operation.
(Now is a good time to remind readers that employees have the right to refuse to carry out work that they believe is inherently unsafe. Also, employers cannot always expect or assume that employees know the right or safe way to do the job. )
The company had identified issues with the guarding of the shredder as far back as June 2004, a company official admitted. The company’s health and safety manager had at that time raised concerns about access and guarding, and recommended modifications to make it safe for employees. None of the recommended modifications had been made as at the time of the accident. (herein lies the ultimate frustration of a safety professional... occasionally we do get it right).
Accident Causes:
1. The shredder was not adequately guarded to protect the employee from entering the hopper while it was operating.
2. There were no posted or written standard operating procedures on the proper operation of the equipment.
Safe Work Practices:
1. Guard your equipment properly, to prevent someone from placing body parts in front of moving equipment parts.
2. Develop, test and post standard operating procedures that identify the safety features of machinery.
3. Train employees on the proper use and shut down procedures of machinery.
4. Employees should speak up about procedures that are ultimately unsafe.
5. Repair safety features when called-out. Respond quickly to safety related work orders.
6. Never get complacent around equipment. Machines hurt people. It CAN happen to you.
Labels: amputation, guard, jam, machine, shred, train, training
posted by Chuck | 2:20 PM
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