The Lathe and the Damage Done

You may have read about the tragic death of a Yale student in a lathe accident. It appears that the student’s hair became caught in a lathe, resulting in her asphyxiation. It’s hard to think of a more horrific way to die. My heart goes out to her family, friends, and colleagues.

Municipal employees operate power machinery and equipment, and so are susceptible to these and other types of injuries. Please make sure such machinery and equipment are properly maintained and have appropriate safety features in place. More importantly, please make sure all personnel operating such machinery and equipment develop and maintain safe working habits, wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and maintain a constant state of awareness.

Lathes and other rapidly spinning tools are especially scary because of the things that can get caught up in them – long hair, long sleeves, loose clothing, watches and rings, etc. In the case of the Yale student, photos indicate that she may have had long hair that should have been tied back and out of the way. 

For lack of an elastic hair band, a person’s life was lost. It’s a tragedy beyond words. Please don’t let anything like this happen on your watch.