Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120318738 - Lausd Maintenance & Operations, Area "A"

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

On October 2, 2003, Employee #1 and three other workers had completed work at the school washing the windows and were loading their equipment into the van. The van is equipped with a hydraulic lift which is used to load and unload equipment. Employee #1 was exiting from the rear, and the lift was raised to its maximum height of 28.5 inches which is even with the floor of the van. As he stepped down his "wedding ring" got caught on the side of the ladder. Employee #1 did not realize what had happened to his ring finger until he looked at his left hand and saw that his ring finger had the skin and everything stripped and hanging at the tip of the finger. The bone was still there. He immediately told his coworker to call the paramedics. Employee #1 was transported to UCLA Medical Center where he had surgery on the finger, resulting in the amputation of two-thirds of his left ring finger. He was released the next morning.

Keywords: FINGER, LADDER, RING, CAUGHT BY, WORK SURFACE