Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1442662.015 - Verrette Materials Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Appleton Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 10:00 a.m. on October 16, 2019, an employee was working as a laborer for a firm that made ready-mix concrete. He and at least one other employee were repairing a bent engine compartment door on a Case heavy duty or heavy equipment loader. To fix the bent door, the workers had decided to hold a piece of wood between the engine compartment door and the main body of the loader. While the employee held the wood, the other worker would use the forks of a Caterpillar model V60C forklift, with serial number 33S600, to apply force to the compartment door in an attempt to bend it back into place. The forklift was driven toward the employee. Just then, according to the employee holding the wood, the wood slipped. His left middle finger was pinched between the wood and the body of the heavy equipment loader. The tip of his left middle finger was partially amputated. He was hospitalized. The site employed a crew of three personnel and only operated seasonally. Each of the employees was expected to operate a Caterpillar Model V60C forklift to perform a multitude of operations throughout the facility. None of the employees at the facility had been trained to operate the forklift prior to being allowed to operate the lift. Two of the operators had training from previous employers, but none of the three employees had been trained by their current employer.

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Automotive Repair, Caught Between, Finger, Fingertip, Forklift, Instantaneous amputation, Laborer, Loader, Partial Amputation, Pinched, Sheet Metal, Training, Traumatic, Untrained, Wood