A cautionary tale of a machinist with 40 years experience wearing a loose jacket

“Alone in the shop, Olson held his body back from going in any further for 20 minutes before the machine’s motor gave out. With a broken back, four broken ribs, and a chipped bone, he was able to manually unwind the machine to get his arm out, walk to the office, and call for help.” “Even though he managed to keep his arm, “The inside of his arm is like hamburger”, Dianna Olson, Butch’s sister, says, “He can move it, make a fist and that's about it. His arm is starting to get a little feeling back in it, but unfortunately is bringing a lot more pain for him”.

Lathe accidents are most commonly caused by loose clothing getting caught in the machinery, many times resulting in the loss of a limb or death.