Lack Of Required Safety Guards Led To Amputation Of Worker’s 6 Fingers

The amputation of a 21-year-old temporary worker’s six fingers was preventable if his South Elgin employer had installed proper safety guards to keep the operator’s hands out of the metal press’ danger zone, federal inspectors found. U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors responded after the Nov. 4, 2015 incident at Custom Aluminum Products. An investigation determined the worker, employed just four weeks, suffered the loss of his ring, middle and index fingers and part of his right pinky finger when his hands became caught as he hand-fed parts into an aluminum press.