KENNER, La. — Police here in this New Orleans suburb responded June 23 to reports of an accident involving a machine operator at Pellerin Milnor Corp.
The victim, identified as 58-year-old “master operator” Dat Nguyen, apparently failed to lock out or shut down an Okuma Macturn 550-W multi-spindle lathe he was working on in the commercial laundry equipment plant before attempting to service it, according to a release from the Kenner Police Department. Nguyen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say the machine is an automatic rotating tool machine with a turning lathe. It is electronically programmed and performs its functions on an automatic schedule.
An investigation into the incident is continuing.
In a prepared statement, Jim Pellerin, Pellerin Milnor Corp. president, describes Nguyen as a seasoned, experienced operator who had worked on the machine for several years. However, for reasons unknown, the company says, on June 23 it appears that Nguyen failed to take the precautions necessary to protect himself from harm while working on the equipment.
Equipment checks showed that the machine’s safety systems were working but apparently were not deployed in this case, according to the company.
“As a master operator with years of experience with this machine, we just don’t know why he would have gone into the machine without employing the emergency stop—at the very minimum,” Pellerin says in the statement. “The emergency stop is the initial safety step prior to our mandatory lockout/tagout procedures.”
In addition to the police investigation, the company says it will conduct companywide meetings with groups of employees to reiterate existing safety protocols and procedures and to ensure that the company’s safety rules are strictly followed by all employees at all times.
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