Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305356693 - Metro Equipment

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

On January 5, 2006, Employee #1 and two coworkers were moving a non-operational warehouse sweeper that was being serviced (manufactured by American Lincoln Technologies, model 505-230 and serial number 752579). The equipment was about the size of a small pick-up truck and was operated by a driver. The front end of the sweeper was equipped with a brush and suction hopper to scrub and vacuum the trash from the floor. A built-in support rod was provided by the manufacturer to hold the hopper in the raised position in order to facilitate servicing operations. The two coworkers were cleaning and repairing the sweeper and had the hopper in a raised position, with the support rod holding it in place. In order to work around the machine, they needed to move it away from other adjacent equipment. At this time, Employee #1 was performing other cleanup tasks in the vicinity. A coworker asked Employee #1 to help push the sweeper backward to create some working room. Employee #1 started to push the sweeper from the front end under the raised hopper. A coworker was pulling it backward from the rear end while another coworker was pushing on the middle part of the machine. When the sweeper started to move, the hopper fell off the support rod and Employee #1's neck was caught between the hopper and the main body of the machine. He sustained a 10 cm-long deep laceration to the neck, contusion to the left shoulder and amputation to the tip of the left thumb. He was hospitalized for six days, at which time he underwent surgery to repair the neck injury. Employee #1 was not a contract employee.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, REPAIR, WAREHOUSE, CLEANING, MECHANIC, CAUGHT BETWEEN, LACERATION, NECK, SWEEPER, CONTUSION