Inspection 344697776 OPENED MAR 5, 2020Closed
1972 Salem Industrial Drive, Salem, VA 24153 · Nonupholstered Wood Household Furniture Manufacturing · OSHA's record · Phone and website on Google Maps
Incident on Mar 5, 2020: Employee receives electric shock while resetting cnc machine
On March 5, 2020, an employee was working for a firm that made laminate and wood flooring. He worked as a machine operator in the facility's router department. He was operating a Shoda CNC router identified in the facility as router number 2. An error had been made in its setting, and the employee was resetting the machine. The employee went to the back of the machine and opened the machine's main electrical cabinet actuate the reset switch located within. The main electric power coming into the machine was stepped down from 480 volts AC. The router's electrical cabinet itself contained parts energized at 208 and 110 volts AC. The employee came into contact with an energized part. He received an electric shock through his arm and body that left him stunned and unable to move. He had received an electric shock through direct contact with energized parts. The shock was of such an extent that police and hospital personnel claimed that he was "dead" at some point. Efforts at resuscitation proved successful, as the employee was hospitalized for two or more days. The employer had employees exposed to live electrical parts in excess of 50 volts. While the electrical parts were contained within the electrical cabinet, employees were instructed to reset the machine if an error occurred. Employees were trained to reset the machine by going to the electrical cabinet on the back of the machine, opening the doors on the cabinet, and physically flipping a switch located within the cabinet. This was considered a routine router operation. The employees had been trained to open a live electrical cabinet to flip the switch.
| Citation and rule | Type | Proposed | Current | Issued | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citation 1, item 1 29 CFR 1910.303(g)(2)(i) · Electrical equipment, general requirements |
Serious | $13,047 | $9,133 | May 13, 2020 | Final |