Ajm Packaging Corp: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on May 15, 2021: Employee partially amputates two fingers when cut by machine

At 10:00 a.m. on May 15, 2021, an employee was working as a machine operator for a manufacturer of paper plates and bowls. The employee is responsible for adding paper to a production machine, ensuring the machine continues to operate smoothly and cleaning the machine when there is a build-up of paper scrap at various points within the operation. The employee is a full time employee who works directly for the employer. The employee had just finished installing a new roll of paper on the Peerless Plate Forming Machine #22. He was process of removing loose paper blanks from one of the machine's dies. Following company procedures, the employee turned off the machine and installed tags before opening the interlocked gate in the back of the machine. Using his right hand, the employee began pushing down paper blanks that had built up near the cutting dies. He then reached into the machine's center die to remove paper blanks that were stuck inside. As he removed the paper blanks, the die moved and struck his fingers. The employee was hospitalized to treat partial amputations to his right middle and ring fingers.

Incident on Aug 8, 2020: Employee crushes finger in pinch point of forming die

At 12:00 a.m. on August 8, 2020, a piece of scrap paper was stuck at the base of the bottom of a forming die. An employee attempted to take the scrap paper out while the machine was running. The employee opened a gate/door of the machine to have access to the scrap paper. While removing the scrap paper, his right-hand middle finger got caught in the pinch point at the bottom of the forming die, crushing his finger. The employee was hospitalized.

Incident on Jun 14, 2017: Employee's four fingers are amputated by cutter

At 12:15 p.m. on June 14, 2017, a machine operator at bowl cutting machine #14 was operating the machine when paper debris jammed in the cutter area at the backside of the machine. The employee reached into the opening to clean out the paper debris with his right hand and the cutter came down and cut off four of his fingers on his right hand. The machine was not in proper lock out tag out/block out mode; also the guard at the cutter opening was taken opened to do the cleaning. The causal factor of the accident was that accident prevention tags or signs were not placed on the controls of the power source and no means were used to block the moveable parts, i.e. the cutter was not blocked to prevent movement. Also the employee did not use the air hose at the back of the machine to clean out the cutter opening instead of using his right hand to do the cleaning.

Incident on Jan 20, 2014: Worker amputates finger in plate cutting machine

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on January 20, 2014, Employee #1, a 20-year-old male machine operator with AJM Packaging, was operating Plate Cutting Machine Number 21, at the Employer's facility in El Cajon, California. Employee #1 cleaned a pa per plate off of a cutting die off of a machine that was energized. Employee #1 did not disengage the cutter; as he reached in the area of the cutting die, the cutter came down and amputated his left middle finger. Employee #1 was transport ed to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego for surgery and treatment and was hos pitalized for less than one day. The causal factor of the incident was that the paper plate cutting machine was not de energized before Employee #1 attempted to clean the jammed paper plate that was in it.

Incident on Sep 2, 2008: Employee reaches into cutting machine, finger is amputated

At approximately 2:15 p.m. on September 2, 2008, Employee #1 reached into a pape r cutting machine to remove a paper jam while the machine was operational. The t ip of his middle finger on his left hand was amputated. Employee #1 was taken to Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, California where he was hospitalized.