Dix Metals, Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Sep 11, 2019: Machinist suffers hand injuries from unguarded cutter

At 7:20 a.m. on September 11, 2019, an employee was working as a machine operator for a firm that made and distributed metal plates sized and shaped to order. He worked for the employer; that is, he was not a temporary worker. The employee was cutting metal plates to a specific size for a customer. He was operating a Series I 2 HP Bridgeport mill, with serial number 66027-2, to fly cut an aluminum metal plate to a specific size. The coolant flow volume was too low, and the employee wanted to increase the flow. The valve that controlled coolant flow was located about 12 to 18 inches (300 to 450 mm) behind the cutter. The employee reached behind the cutter to increase the coolant flow. There was no guarding on the cutter, and the employee's right hand came into contact with the rotating cutter. The employee suffered disfiguring injuries to the thumb and the index and middle fingers of his right hand. He was transported via ambulance to a teaching hospital for the medical school of a public university. He was hospitalized. His right thumb, partially amputated, was reattached in surgery later that day. The employee had been working by himself in the work area, and there were no witnesses to this incident. The county fire authority notified Cal/OSHA's Santa Ana district office (SADO) of this incident at about 7:47 p.m. that same day. The employer did not meet the 8-hour reporting requirement required by current Cal/OSHA regulations. DOSH arrived at the site at approximately 9:43 a.m. on November 20, 2019.