A 52-year-old man is listed in critical condition at a Pittsburgh hospital after apparently getting his arm stuck in a printing press at a Neville Township business this morning
(KDKA) NEVILLE TWP One worker is listed in critical condition at a Pittsburgh hospital after an industrial accident in Neville Township this morning.
According to emergency dispatchers, a 52-year-old man’s arm somehow got stuck in a printing press at the Liberty Pittsburgh System Company on Grand Avenue.
After about 90 minutes of trying to free him, rescue crews had to take the machinery apart to get the man’s arm out.
A medical helicopter flew the unidentified worker to Mercy Hospital around 8am.
It was pretty ugly…he was actually picked up off the ground kinda hanging out of the press .These are 40ft long web presses very powerful motors. Anyway we finally got him out after about an hr and a half using a swazall. At first we tried to inch it backwads but it only stripped more skin off. So cutting the machine apart was the only option.This man was a 20 years veteran it shows how just a spit second not paying attention an cause a major catastrophy…Nothing was torn off completly. After about 4 hrs in surgery they let us see him. He crushed the bones in his thumb had some pins put in had some tissue loss and will need to have some grafting. He was jokeing about it in the hospital room. Already
So to those that work with heavy machinery remember it only takes a second so pay attention and stay safe.
Somethign very similar happened a few years back where the guy got both arms stuck in a press and lsot em both,very sad and goers to show u that ANYTHING can happen at ANY time…
I work at a paper converting factory, for 8 years now, I have been involved with pulling four guys out of machines in the same way in that time.
It’s amazing how a guy that has done the same thing day in day out for years, becomes so careless that he sticks a hand or arm into a moving machine. And wham the machine bites him hard and fast.
Seen some pretty big, tough guys, crippled to whimpering babies this way…
my wife works in the printing industry so i know it’s some dangerous stuff, lucky for me her branch doesn’t have those press. jusy indigo’s and docutech’s and bunch of cutters,and other machine’s i don’t know. kinda makes me glad i work around jets.
I work for Neopost (postage machines/document handling equipment), so I’m in print shops alot. I’m surprised there aren’t more accidents with some of the equipment out there.
i watch a women get her thumb cut off in a chain on a machine that glues boxes were envelopes are put. she stuck her finger in between the sprocket and chain trying to save a piece of cardboard… real smart.
i saw a 7 year old at Woodward try to see if his chain was tight when he was pedaling his bike. he runs away to the emergency area and some kid was kick/rolling the end of his finger around with his shoe on the ground.
finally someone was like, “dude, they might have to try to reattach that”