Delta Star, Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Aug 3, 2012: Employee suffers a finger amputation by drill press

At approximately 12:15 p.m., on August 3, 2012, Employee #1 suffered an amputati on of his left index finger when his work glove got entangled in the rotating dr ill bit while operating a drill press at Delta Star, Inc. At the time of the acc ident, Employee #1 had just drilled a hole on one side of an aluminum battery br acket (7-inch channel, 3/8 inch thick) and was ready to drill a second hole. Emp loyee #1 said sharp aluminum shavings from the drilling operation got into his l eft glove and was deeply scraping his skin. As Employee #1 tried to remove the s havings with his right hand, his left glove was pulled and wrapped around the dr ill bit. Employee #1 immediately stopped the machine and pulled his left hand ou t from the glove. Employee #1 yelled for help and Employee #2 and other coworker s responded. Employee #2 said he was approximately 10 feet away from Employee #1 when the accident happened. Employee #2 said the drill press had already been t urned off when he responded and Employee #1 was holding his left hand. Employee #2 removed the glove that was wrapped around the drill bit. According to the Ope rations Manager, employees wore tight-fitting gloves provided by the company, to protect the employees' hands from sharp edges of aluminum pieces. The pair of g loves worn by Employee #1 at the time of the accident was a "Body Guard Safety G ear." The Drill Press involved in the accident was identified as Equipment 110, Powermatic Drill Press, Model No. 1150, Serial No. 815V1778. Employee #1 was tak en to Stanford Hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

Incident on Jan 22, 2011: Employee falls from ladder, receives unspecified injuries

On January 22, 2011, Employee #1 was cleaning the floors of a transformer tank. To access the tank, he entered into a scissor lift that elevated him to an appro ximately height of 14 ft. He then climbed into the tank and down approximately f ourteen feet to its floors. After cleaning the floor, he needed to climb down fr om the top of the tank. The employer provided a ladder that was approximately 16 ft long. While he descended the ladder, the ladder slid from the top edge of th e tank, and he fell to the ground, striking the front of his torso on the fallen ladder. He suffered a serious and unspecified injury that required over 24 hour s of hospitalization and included a laceration on his face. On or before the tim e of the accident inspection, the employer did not provide a portable ladder to access the upper landing surface of the tank. Additionally, the employer had no knowledge that Employee #1 did not secure the ladder. The ladder would usually b e tied up and secured during this operation, but the employer knew about the sho rt ladder.

Incident on Oct 2, 2008: Employee is pinned by scissor lift, sustains fractures

At approximately 12:58 p.m. on October 2, 2008, Employee #1 was working and was standing on the mid-rails of a mobile scissors lift positioned adjacent to struc tural beams and a steel frame on each side of the unit. As Employee #1 was stand ing on the mid-rails, the scissor lift began to rise without his intentional eng agement of the foot pedal or joystick two-point activation system. Employee #1 s tated that the emergency stop button also did not work when he tried to stop the lift going up, resulting in severe crushing injuries to his left foot and right thigh. Employee #1's right thigh impacted with the steel beam at approximately 11.5 ft above the floor and his left foot impacted the steel frame at approximat ely 10 ft above the floor. Employee #1 was pinned by the malfunctioning scissors lift, and suffered a fractured left foot. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Incident on Oct 21, 2005: Four employees are injured when struck by transformer

On October 21, 2005, four employees were injured when they were struck by a 78,0 00-lb electrical transformer that was being lifted. No other information was pro vided in the narrative. Employee #1 was hospitalized for treatment of a concussi on. Employee #1 was hospitalized for treatment of an unspecified amputation. Emp loyee #3 suffered bruises and/or abrasions, but was not hospitalized. Employee # 4 was hospitalized for an unspecified injury or illness.

Incident on Oct 27, 2004: Employee burns hands due to electrocution

At about 9:25 a.m. on October 27, 2004, Employee #1 was working with a coworker on testing a large industrial transformer. Another large transformer was providi ng the energy for the tests and Employee #1 was going to change the connections on this transformer. However, he did so before the energy dissipated after switc h-off. Consequently, an electrical flash occurred since Employee #1 disturbed th e connection. Employee #1 seriously burned both his wrists and arms. He was hosp italized.

Incident on Nov 8, 2000: Employee injured in fall from elevation

Employee #1, a senior welder, was positioning a steel plate held in place by tab s welded to other steel plates as he was lubricating a tank. The tabs were piece s of metal that were 0.375 inches thick, 2.25 inches wide, and 7.125 inches long . The tabs gave way as he was leveling a corner of the plate with a lever. Emplo yee #1 was not wearing any personal fall protection. He fell approximately six f eet to the floor, sustaining a fractured back. Employee #1 was hospitalized for his injury.

Incident on Feb 1, 1999: Employee injured in fall from ladder

Employee #1, a maintenance worker, was assigned to repair the stuck roll-up bay door at the plant. Employee #1 used a 16-ft ladder to go about his assignment. T he door was stuck with the bottom of the roll-up door approximately 8 ft to 9 ft above the ground. Employee #1 was seen with one foot on the lip of the door and the other on the ladder step as he was trying to dislodge the door with his wei ght. Employee #1 lost his balance and fell to the concrete floor. He sustained l acerations in the face and chin, but did not require hospitalization.

Incident on Sep 16, 1998: Electric shock & burn - direct contact with energized parts

An employee climbed a ladder to the top surface of an energized transformer to r etrieve a screwdriver. He contacted a terminal on the transformer and received a n electric shock and burns requiring the surgical amputation of his arm. He was hospitalized for his injuries.

Incident on Jun 2, 1998: Employee's finger amputated after jumping from trailer

On June 2, 1998, Employee #1, a supervisor, was steadying himself on a low-bed t railer by holding on to a radiator-cooler. The employee jumped to the floor, a d istance of less than 30 in. As Employee #1 jumped, his ring was caught by the ed ge of the metal frame of the cooler, amputating his left ring finger.

Incident on Nov 18, 1994: Employee's finger amputated by press die

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on November 18, 1994, Employee #1, of Delta Star, In c., was helping a press brake operator set up the machine before a production ru n. As the operator reached around the end of the machine to adjust the controls, he also pressed the machine's foot pedal to move the slide down. At the same ti me, Employee #1 reached his hand through the point of operation to reposition wh at he thought was a displaced backstop. His left index finger was amputated.