“MAN IN A MACHINE” INCIDENT 2
BY JOSEPH R. DOWNEY
On April 7, 1999, Rescue 2 received a phone alarm for a man`s arm stuck in a machine at a bakery in Brooklyn, New York. Coincidentally, one of the responders to the March 30 incident had reviewed it with this shift during the previous evening drill period, highlighting some of the problems and solutions that brought the earlier incident to a successful conclusion.
On arrival at the bakery, rescuers began to form a plan, which involved sizing up, gathering information, finding a mechanic or other worker who knew about the machine, and getting medical help. As we approached the machine, we observed dough on the steel tray that was used to guide the dough into the rollers, as well as dough piled in a bin below the rollers. The machine was a dough kneading machine, and the worker`s right arm, up to his elbow, was caught between the rollers. After our discussion the previous night, we were prepared for the worst.
Our SOPs call for power removal first, which had been taken care of by the first-arriving ladder company, whose members also cut the chain on the drive shaft. Although the worker did not speak English, we were able to communicate with him and reassure him throughout the incident. The worker was standing in front of the machine, with his right arm draped over the second roller (see diagram below) and caught between that and the first roller.
During size-up, we noticed that the rollers and the drive shaft were held in place by four bolts. We used a ratchet set to remove the bolts on the pillow block securing the first roller. We then attempted to remove the roller but couldn`t because its gears were meshed in place with the drive shaft gears. We hoped to gain access by removing the safety shroud over the drive shaft and the bolts holding the drive shaft. We used the ratchet to remove the bolts on the pillow blocks holding the drive shaft in place.
The steel tray used to guide the dough into the rollers was held in place by a few screws, which we removed with a Phillips head screwdriver. We removed the steel tray, took the drive shaft with the safety shroud out in one piece, and lifted the first roller completely out of the way. We now had access to the worker`s arm and were able to successfully extricate it from the machine. Paramedics immediately stabilized the victim, assessed his injuries, and transported him to the hospital. The entire operation lasted 15 to 20 minutes.
General steps to take at any man-in-machine incident include the following:
Size up and assess the situation.
Gather all available information.
Seek out someone with knowledge of the machine.
Provide “psychological first aid” to the victim throughout the incident.
Ensure that lockout/tagout procedures have been followed before beginning operations.
Disassemble the machinery first, if possible.
Have second and third plans of action ready.
Call for medical assistance immediately.
Have the proper tools and equipment available (see ” `Man-in-a-Machine` Kit” on page 30).
Have a charged handline ready when using spark-producing tools/equipment.
Critique all incidents before history repeats itself. n
 |
n JOSEPH R. DOWNEY is a 14-year veteran of the Fire Department of New York and a lieutenant in Rescue 2. He is a state-certified instructor, a confined space instructor, and a haz-mat technician. Downey is a member of FEMA`s New York Task Force-1 and responded as a rescue specialist to Hurricane Marilyn in Puerto Rico.
