Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1442256.015 - Clark Pacific

Inspection Information - Office: Foster City District Office

Investigation Summary

At 8:30 a.m. on October 22, 2019, an employee was working as an iron worker for a structural steel and precast concrete contractor. The employee and a coworker were in the process of aligning post tension cables into a 2,400-pound post tension ram. The employee and the coworker were in separate boom lifts manually controlling a tension ram suspended by a pulley system. The employee was located on opposite sides of the ram. They were having hard time fitting all the cables into the ram. The employee was pulling down on the cable toward the cable wheel while the coworker was pulling on other side of cable to help with load of the ram. When the employee pulled the cable, the cable jerked while the employee had his right hand on the cable causing his hand to travel through the wheel. The employee caught his pinky finger between the cable and cable wheel. The employee had full manual control of the cable at the time. The employee partially amputated his finger to the first knuckle, requiring medical treatment (stitches) but no hospitalization.

Keywords: Aerial Lift, Amputated, Amputation, Boom, Cable, Finger, Instantaneous amputation, Loading, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Partial Amputation, Pinch Point, Pinched, Pulled In, Pulley, Pulling, Ram, Steel, Steel Beam, Steel Erection, Tension, Traumatic Amputation, Wheel