California
NURSE Project
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SUMMARY: CASE
193-489-01
A cotton
harvester operator was warming up his cotton harvester before
going out to the field. While sitting in the cab, he heard
a strange noise coming from the front of the machine. Leaving
the cotton harvester on, he jumped down to investigate.
Standing
in front of the machine, he saw a spindle hitting the head
cover. Spindles are very sharp cone- shaped pieces of metal
inside the head unit. They pull cotton off the plant by turning
very fast. A head is covered except where the cotton enters
the machine. Therefore, the spindles are partially exposed.
It is at this spot where the cotton harvester operator stood
and saw the spindles hitting the head cover.
Unsure
how, his left hand or sleeve suddenly became caught in the
turning spindles, and his arm was pulled into the machine.
He screamed. Co-workers came running. Luckily, the cotton
harvester operator pulled his arm out from the turning spindles.
His fifth finger was dangling, while his arm was mangled and
covered in blood.
How
could this injury have been prevented?
- Workers
should never place any part of their body in or near running
equipment.
- Old
cotton harvesters should be equipped with new safety devices
that shut the power off when the operator leaves the cab.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This document,
CDHS(OHB)-FI-94-005-34
,
was extracted from a series of the Nurses Using Rural Sentinal
Events (NURSE) project, conducted by the California Occupational
Health Program of the California Department of Health Services,
in conjunction with the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health. Publication date: May 1994.
The NURSE (Nurses Using Rural Sentinel Events) project is
conducted by the California Occupational Health Program
of the California Department of Health Services, in conjunction
with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health. The program's goal is to prevent occupational injuries
associated with agriculture. Injuries are reported by hospitals,
emergency medical services, clinics, medical examiners,
and coroners. Selected cases are followed up by conducting
interviews of injured workers, co-workers, employers, and
others involved in the incident. An on-site safety investigation
is also conducted. These investigations provide detailed
information on the worker, the work environment, and the
potential risk factors resulting in the injury. Each investigation
concludes with specific recommendations designed to prevent
injuries, for the use of employers, workers, and others
concerned about health and safety in agriculture.
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