Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312910441 - Jones Covey Group, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

On March 25, 2009, Employee #1, a pipe fitter, and a coworker were reseating a 48 inch manway cover. The manway cover weighed approximately 100 pounds. While seating a manway cover, one of the captured retaining nuts became misaligned. The coworker used a screw driver to pry the cover up and raised it by hand approximately 12 inches high. Employee #1 then began correcting the nuts position with his right hand. As Employee #1 was working to correct the nuts position, the coworker lost his grip on the manway cover, allowing it to fall. The cover struck Employee #1's right hand, causing injury to the second, third, and fourth digits, which included the amputation of the distal ends of the third and fourth digits. The accident investigation determined that the procedures used by Employee #1 and the coworker during the operation were "a common industry practice". However, the employer sited under California's Injury and Illness Prevention Standard for not identifying the hazards present and providing training to employees engaged in handling manway covers.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, CAUGHT BETWEEN, INEXPERIENCE, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT