Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310859905 - Allen Berkey

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

On June 10, 2007, Employee #1 was ripping (cutting) a 0.375-inch wall filler with a Ryobi 10-inch portable table saw. In order to cut the wall filler, he raised the saw guard to not have it interfere with the cut. As Employee #1 was making the appropriate cuts, the guard fell and startled him. He quickly withdrew his left hand from the table, causing his left middle finger tip to come into contact with the saw blade. A portion of his left middle finger was amputated, just above the upper knuckle. Employee #1 was hospitalized and treated for his injury. The accident investigation revealed that the employer had instructed Employee #1 to raise the guard of the saw, as well as the anti-kickback device, and rest them on the rip fence while cutting the wall filler. However, during an interview, the employer reported that Employee #1 failed to rest the saw guard and anti-kick back device on the rip fence as instructed, leaving it in the up position.

Keywords: SAFETY BLOCK, AMPUTATED, CARPENTER, FINGER, GUARD, CONSTRUCTION, SAW