Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1439842.015 - Sacramento County General Services

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

At 11:50 a.m. on October 16, 2019, an employee was working as an electrician for a county government agency. He and some coworkers had been given a new assignment. They were to pull wires between a facility's automatic transfer switch and the main switchboard. They were using a Maxis 3000 Pull-IT, though they had recieved no previous training on how to use it. The employer did not provide training to employees assigned to operate new equipment, the Maxis 3000 Pull-IT, on their new assignments. At the time of the incident, the employee was operating the wirepuller to pull cables or wires from the automatic transfer station switch to the main switchboard. The wirepuller was pulling wire into a feeder. As the employee used his right hand to guide a pull tape, the glove on his right hand was caught by and pulled into a capstan. His fingers were wedged between the edges of the capstan and the pull or "mule" tape. He suffered injuries to the small and ring fingers on his right hand. His small finger was partially amputated. He lost the first knuckle on that finger. He was hospitalized. His employer's senior safety specialist reported the incident to Cal/OSHA via telephone at 11:00 am. on October 17, 2019, the following day.

Keywords: Caught Between, Caught In, Communication Cable, Electrical Wire, Electrical Work, Electrician, Finger, Glove, Hand, I2P2, Knuckle, Partial Amputation, Pinched, Pulling, Training, Untrained