Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309302255 - National Oilwell Varco

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

On June 18, 2008, Employee #1, a team leader in the Assembly department, was using a Frontier ten-ton overhead crane, Serial Number 10801, to lower an already- assembled motor drive onto support blocks, so that he could replace the existing carriage with a customer-provided carriage. The motor drive was rigged front and rear with nylon slings. While lowering the motor drive, which weighs about nine tons, onto several four by four blocks that he had set up to support the motor drive, Employee #1 reached in to better position one of the support blocks while still lowering the motor drive with the crane. The rigged motor drive set down on the blocks before he could remove his hand, crushing the middle, ring and small fingers on his left hand. He raised the motor drive back off of his hand and sought help from his coworkers. Employee #1 was taken by emergency response personnel to a local medical center, where his middle finger was amputated at the distal joint. The employee was hospitalized.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, BLOCKS, FINGER, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, SLING, HAND, OIL RIG, CRANE