Inspection Detail

Inspection: 111907663 - Butte Water District

Inspection Information - Office: Redding District Office

Investigation Summary

On September 28, 1992, several employees were attempting to manually lower a canal gate to conserve water and to remove a limb caught in the gate. The gate is manually operated with a counterweight system. The pulleys are used only to raise or lower the gate on a single cable; normally this is done automatically by the water level. One employee went to get a weir hook from his truck while the other two employees were standing on each end of the gate. The canal was nearly dry and there was no pressure on the gate. Either one or both employees were getting off the gate when suddenly the gate raised up, catching Employee #1's right thumb in the nip point of the cable and pulley. He was freed from the pulley and taken to Gridley-Biggs Hospital. He was transferred to Enloe Hospital in Chico, and later to Ralph K. Davies Hospital in San Francisco, where his right thumb was amputated and replaced with one of his big toes.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, AMPUTATED, WIRE ROPE, CANAL, WORK RULES, THUMB, CAUGHT BETWEEN, NIP POINT, PULLEY