Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1546727.015 - County Of San Mateo

Inspection Information - Office: Foster City District Office

Investigation Summary

At 4:30 p.m. on July 4, 2021, an employee working as a forest park ranger for a county was splitting logs in a county park. The employee was using a Bluebird LS 34 Log Splitter (Serial Number 489B1L7S3KA180107) to split a piece of tree trunk that was approximately 14 inches in diameter and approximately 18 inches thick. The employee was not tasked with the work but decided to split wood for a fireplace since he had nothing else to do at the time. He worked for the employer for 3 weeks and was trained on using the splitter. The employee turned on the equipment by simultaneously holding and moving two levers with both his hands at the same time. The levers are at the top part of the apparatus approximately 20 inches above the tree trunk and are a safety feature to keep hands away from the splitter wedge. After the employee turned the equipment on his right index fingertip got in the way of the wedge path. The employee pinched his fingertip between the wedge and the wood. It takes approximately 5 seconds for the wedge to reach the wood. The wedge travels slowly before eventually splitting the wood with downward force. Due to the slow motion of the wedge, the employee was not sure why he did not pull his finger out of the way before the wedge reached his finger. The employee stated the reason his finger was severed was because he was holding the tree trunk so that it would not move while it was split apart. He held the tree trunk at its back side which was close to the splitting wedge path. Placing his hand in a different location might have prevented the injury. In addition, push sticks, push blocks or other extension tools were not available for use. Warning signs were posted on the apparatus not to put any part of the body in the way of the splitting wedge path. The employee was hospitalized to treat an amputated fingertip.

Keywords: Amputated, Amputation, Caught Between, Caught By, Cutter, Cutting, Engineering Technician, Equipment Operator, Finger, Fingertip, Inexperience, Instantaneous amputation, Lack of Engineering Controls, Lack of Work Procedures, Machine Guarding, Machine operator, Material Handling, Partial Amputation, Pinch Point, Pinched, Splitter, Traumatic Amputation, Wood Splitter