Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300758885 - Dewey Pest Control

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 worked for a pest control outfit, which employed 14 field technicians to provide pesticide control services to its clients. One of these services, called power spraying, involved spraying an area with pesticides using a motor pump and a hose with a nozzle. Each technician was regularly assigned a truck on which was installed a motor pump, a chemical tank, and a hose holder; the motor was gas-powered and had a belt and pulley drive to aid in the mixing of the chemicals. The operator turned the motor on by activating a lever switch and pulling a cord. Employee #1 was assigned to one of these vehicles in November 1999. The truck's motor, a Honda G150, was unguarded when it was given to him. He secured the motor at night with a canvas cover and a weighed it down with a plastic coolant container filled with water. On the day of the accident, he had reported to his first job of the day. After he notified the owner of the residence involved, he climbed into the bed of his truck and stood on the opened tailgate to crank up the motor. He picked up the plastic container, placed it on top of the adjacent chemical tank, and pulled the canvas cover to the floor. He then moved the lever switch and pulled the crank cord. After the motor had started running, its vibration caused the plastic container to fall into the 8 in. space between the motor and the chemical tank, specifically between the belt and pulley drive and the chemical tank. As Employee #1 reached in to retrieve the container, he felt a tug on his hand and instinctively pulled it back. His right middle and ring fingers had become caught in the unguarded in-running nip point of the belt and pulley drive. He suddenly felt a numbing sensation and pulled off his gloves to find the tips of his two fingers in a very awkward position. He opened the cab of his truck, pulled out a clean rag, and informed the resident that he could not perform the services that day. With the help of another motorist, he then drove himself to the hospital, where his right middle and ring fingers were surgically amputated. He was released later that same day but had to be hospitalized for several days in the following week for treatment of post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, BELT, FINGER, WORK RULES, VIBRATIONS, CAUGHT BETWEEN, NIP POINT, PULLEY, UNGUARDED, BLIND REACHING