The injured person had gone to shut down a company dry screen plant (Chieftain 1400) for the morning break. The normal routine when shutting down the machine is to open the side panel, switch off the conveyors and to let the engine idle for a short time to cool down before switching the engine off; whilst the engine is cooling down, the operator goes to check the readings on the belt weigher leaving the door open.
When the operator returned to the controls the door was caught by strong winds and swung towards him. His instinct was to try and stop the door from slamming shut and he put out his left hand. The door struck his hand, causing injury as a result of the impact. The injuries he sustained included a bruised finger, swollen hand and a suspected small tear in his rota cuff, keeping him off work for up to 6 weeks.
Screen door shut
Screen door open
KEY FINDINGS
- Design - There was no facility to secure the door in the open position
- Weather – No account was taken of the windy conditions
- Procedure - It was normal practice to leave the door open after switching off the conveyor, leaving the engine to cool down. There was nothing in the procedures relating to leaving the door open or closed