UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313644130 - International Cargo Equipment Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Ca Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:25 a.m. on September 14, 2011, Employee #1 and a coworker were replacing cracked mast anchor pins on a Taylor container lift (Model Number 155). To access the mast anchor pins, Employee #1 repositioned the arm attachment of the lift inward and moved the attachment to a height of 5.5 ft on the mast. As he accessed the mast anchor pins, the coworker left to get new mast anchor pins. Employee #1 removed all the lug nuts and cover plates from each side of the mast's anchor pin cradle, which gave him access to remove the damaged pins from the cradle. He then took a bottle jack and placed it under the front axle of the lift, and raised the lift's front end approximately 16 in. from the ground. Next, he placed a block of wood underneath the base of the lift's mast to relieve the pressure on the mast's anchor pins. After placing the base of the mast onto the wooden block, Employee #1 went to the cab of the lift to turn the lift's engine off. While turning off the lift, he heard the cracking noise and saw the top of the lift's mast traveling towards the lift's cab. He placed his right hand on top of the lift's roll over protection and turned to step off the lift to evade the falling mast, when the mast struck his hand. The mast crushed his fingers, before settling on the rear of the machine. Emergency medical personnel were summoned. They arrived and transported him to a medical center. Employee #1 underwent surgical procedures, which included the amputation of his middle and ring fingers. Following the procedures, he was hospitalized for postoperative care.

Keywords:hydraulic lift, amputated, repair, finger, caught by, crushed, falling object, hand