Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313511610 - America'S Best Towing & Transport Inc

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:05 a.m. on January 27, 2011, Employee #1 was working for America's Best Towing & Transport, Inc. It was a firm that specialized in towing larger vehicles, and it was located at a private residence in Fontana, CA. The accident occurred in Ontario, CA. Employee #1, a full-time employee, had worked for the company approximately 3.5 months. He had about 25 years of experience in the trade. He began his shift at 9:00 a.m. on January 27, 2011. He was scheduled to work through 6:00 p.m. The site in Ontario, CA, was his first call of the day. He was dispatched to this site to pick up a new garbage collection vehicle. Employee #1 aligned his tow truck with the other vehicle, with the back end of one facing the back end of the other. When Employee #1 attempted to use his lift, he found that the suspension system of the new vehicle was different than that of others he had towed. The T-bar on his truck could not reach far enough under the suspension of the garbage collection vehicle when it was fully extended. Employee #1 reported that he brought his T-bar lift back in toward his vehicle slightly, got back in his truck, and backed up a little closer to the vehicle he was going to tow. He had left the remote control to operate his lift on the ground while he backed up his truck. When he dismounted, he saw that the T-bar was now directly over the remote control. The T-bar was approximately four to six inches above the ground. That left only a narrow gap between the remote and the T-bar. When he tried to remove the remote control, the T-bar activated and came down, trapping Employee #1's left thumb between the T-bar and the remote control. Employee #1 was wearing a cloth and leather glove. His left hand was his predominant hand. Employee #1 retracted his hand, but the glove with his thumb inside remained in place. Employee #1 used the controls on the side of his tow truck to lift the bar. He was able to retrieve his thumb. Employee #1 was transported by ambulance to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. Due to the condition of the thumb, it could not be reattached.

Keywords: GARBAGE TRUCK, AMPUTATED, GLOVE, CAUGHT BY, DRIVER, THUMB, TRAILER HITCH, TOW TRUCK, TOWED EQUIPMENT