Date: June 25, 1990  
                                                        Info Alert # 6  
  
  
                           INFORMATION ALERT  
  
  
HAZARD SUMMARY:  CRITICAL INJURIES - ARM AMPUTATIONS  
  
  In two separate incidents in recent months, workers received  
  critical injuries while attempting to clear moving machinery of  
  jammed material.  In both cases, spinning machines used to stretch  
  fibres in the textile industry were being worked on without first  
  being disconnected and locked out of service.  In one case the  
  worker lost both arms after only three days on this equipment.  In  
  the second case, the worker had her right arm amputated at the  
  shoulder while attempting to "jog" the machine to clear it.  
  
  
LOCATION(S) AND SECTOR(S) WHERE HAZARD MAY BE ENCOUNTERED  
  
  Textile sector.  
  
  
APPLICABLE SECTION(S) OF INDUSTRIAL REGULATIONS  
  
  These critical injuries could have been prevented if the equipment  
  had been properly guarded, disconnected and locked out prior to work  
  being done to clear a jam as required by sections 28, 79 and 80 of  
  the industrial regulations.  These sections state:  
  
  Sec. 28  "Where a machine or prime mover or transmission equipment  
           has an exposed moving part that may endanger the safety of  
           any worker, the machine or prime mover or transmission  
           equipment shall be equipped with and guarded by a guard or  
           other device that prevents access to the moving part."  
  
  Sec. 79  "A part of a machine, transmission machinery, device or  
           thing shall be cleaned, oiled, adjusted, repaired or have  
           maintenance work performed on it only when,  
  
           (a)  motion that may endanger a worker has stopped; and  
  
           (b)  any part that has been stopped and that may  
                subsequently move and endanger a worker has been  
                blocked to prevent its movement."  
  
  Sec. 80  "Where the starting of a machine, transmission machinery,  
           device or thing may endanger the safety of a worker,  
  
           (a)  control switches or other control mechanisms shall be  
                locked out; and  
  
           (b)  other effective precautions necessary to prevent such  
                starting shall be taken."  
  
  
NOTE:  "Information Alert" is produced by the Industrial Health and  
       Safety Branch, Ministry of Labour for use by Ministry  
       inspectors, health and safety associations and other interested  
       groups or individuals in Ontario.  The goal of this publication  
       is to communicate hazard information as soon as it becomes  
       available to prevent serious injury to workers.  Reproduction  
       and use of these alerts is encouraged.