“MAN IN A MACHINE” INCIDENT 1
BY PETE LUND
On March 30, 1999, Fire De-partment of New York (FDNY) Rescue 2 was special-called to an alarm for a man with his arm stuck in a machine in Queens, New York. While responding, members learned via department radio that the man was stuck in a pizza dough kneading machine.
On arrival, I was informed that Ladder Co. 155, the first-due truck company, had removed electrical power to the machine and had employed air bags to attempt to lift one roller apart from the other. Since there was no space for the roller to lift, these initial attempts were unsuccessful. The air bags were left in place to stabilize the roller, since it was on top of the victim`s right arm. At this point, the victim was conscious, alert, and stable. Members provided “psychological first aid,” such as reassuring the victim, throughout the entire operation. For the most part, the victim was cooperative and did not hamper removal operations.
After size-up, we began removing the cover on the end of the machine in an effort to expose the roller`s operating mechanism. Concurrently, Ladder 155 and Squad 270 began a cutting operation with an electric sawzall on the end of the roller away from the victim. As we attempted to remove the restrictors on the end of one of the rollers, members brought in an exothermic torch in case it was needed later. They also brought in Rescue 2`s “man-in-a-machine” kit (see sidebar on page 30), a set of mini air bags, and a battery-operated sawzall with spare batteries and began cutting the roller shaft on the end of the machine nearest the victim. Although we had extra batteries, we felt the task would be too great for a battery-powered unit, but we would continue cutting until all the batteries were used up.
Members continued to attempt to dismantle the gear mechanism, which we felt was the simplest method of removal. We decided to continue concurrent operations, since the victim already had been trapped for more than 30 minutes and there was a growing concern about crush syndrome (see “Crush Syndrome,” by Dario Gonzalez, M.D., Fire Engineering, May 1994, p. 64).
Members` attempts to remove the end of the drive gears with the porta-power unit were unsuccessful; the machine was old, and the accumulation of years of lubrication made the task extremely difficult. Attempts to employ the roller adjustment to relieve some of the pressure being applied to the victim`s arm by the top and lower rollers also were unsuccessful–the drive gear was already raised to its maximum height, and there was no more room to lift.
We considered cutting the uppermost part of the housing that held the drive gear in place in an attempt to create some space for the air bags to be reinflated, permitting the roller to be lifted. This was never done, however, because of the change in the victim`s condition: While we were first trying to cut with the sawzalls, the victim started to show signs of deeper shock, and time was becoming critical. So we temporarily suspended all other cutting operations in favor of the exothermic torch. A charged line was ready, as were two portable extinguishers, to work in close proximity to the victim. One of the drawbacks of the torch is the inordinate amount of sparks it throws during a cutting operation, but in this case it was a small price to pay compared with its cutting speed.
We covered the victim with a fire protective blanket and a turnout coat to protect him from sparks, and an FDNY EMS paramedic stayed with him to keep him calm. We suspended cutting operations periodically to check for heat transfer through the roller, but we quickly determined that little, if any, heat was being transferred.
When the cut was nearly complete, all operations were stopped and the top roller was secured in place so that once the cut was complete, the roller would not fall off or fall on the victim`s arm as it was freed. We did this by deflating the air bags (which were not lifting anyway) and then using wooden wedges to cradle the top roller once the bags were reinflated. When the roller was secure, the cutting operation was resumed.
When the cutting was completed, the air bags were completely inflated, giving us enough clearance to pull the victim`s hand back through the opening. The victim was taken to the hospital and recovered after receiving several skin grafts. n
 |
 |
 |
(1) Air bags were used to stabilize and lift the roller once the shaft was cut. (2) The machine cover was removed, exposing gears and restrictors. (3) The top roller on the right side of the machine was cut with an exothermic torch. (Photos by Pete Hart.)
 |
“Man-in-a-Machine” Kit
1 porta-power unit
1 cordless sawzall with spare battery
2 steel wedges
2 pry bars
1 pair channel locks
1 10-inch pipe wrench
1 10-inch adjustable wrench
1 16-oz. ball peen hammer
1 Phillips head screwdriver
1 flathead screwdriver
assorted wooden wedges
saline solution
liquid soap
tin snips
jab saw
n PETE LUND is a 26-year veteran of the Fire Department of New York and is currently a lieutenant in Rescue 2. He is past chief of the Woodmere (NY) Volunteer Fire Department on Long Island. Lund is a state-certified instructor, a confined space instructor, a building collapse instructor, and a haz-mat technician.
