Why did a supervisor enter an injection molding machine, leading to a fatal incident?

The choice of inspecting for the source of a hydraulic leak is critical in understanding the importance of lockout/tagout procedures. In situations where machinery is involved, particularly in processes like injection molding, any malfunction, such as a hydraulic leak, can create unsafe working conditions. A supervisor entering the machine without properly implementing lockout/tagout procedures exposes themselves to significant hazards, including the risk of unintended machine operation while they are inside.

Effective lockout/tagout practices are designed to ensure that equipment is properly shut down and unable to be restarted while maintenance or inspection is performed. If the supervisor entered the machine to address a hydraulic leak without using these procedures, they may have been unaware of the potential risks involved, such as the likelihood of the machine operating unexpectedly or residual energy being released. Thus, this scenario highlights the critical need for adherence to LOTO protocols to prevent such fatal incidents from occurring.