Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126185420 - Weslar Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

On July 25, 2002, Employee #1, a journeyman framing carpenter, was installing studs, top plates, and headers on the second floor of a building under construction. He stopped to take a break when the lunch truck arrived at approximately 9:15 a.m. Employee #1 was walking away from the work area when he realized that he had left his pneumatic Hitachi strip nailer (Model NR83A) lying out in the open and exposed to the hot sun. He returned to the area, picked up the gun, and started to walk away with the gun in his hand. The hose became caught on something, causing his hand to move backward. Within seconds the hose released and the gun hit the side of his right knee, shooting a 16D, 3.25-in.-long nail into his leg. Employee #1 told a coworker that he had shot himself and the coworker summoned a Field Superintendent. The Superintendent came over, looked at the injury, and asked him how he felt. He responded that his leg felt numb, and the Superintendent said that he would take him to the doctor. Employee #1 hopped down the stairs to the supervisor's truck and was driven to the Santa Clarita Valley Medical Walk-In Clinic. He was examined by a doctor, had his leg X-rayed, and was administered four shots. The doctor tried several times to pull out the nail before Employee #1 told him to stop and that he wanted to see a bone specialist. The doctor agreed, and sent him to Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, since it was the closest hospital with a surgeon available. The supervisor drove Employee #1 to the hospital, where he was admitted at approximately 1:00 p.m. At about 5:40 p.m., he underwent surgery on his knee to remove the nail. Employee #1 was released at approximately 5 p.m. on the following day.

Keywords: KNEE, PORTABLE POWER TOOL, CAUGHT BY, CONSTRUCTION, STRUCK BY, ENTANGLED, INATTENTION, LEG, PUNCTURE