Inspection Detail

Inspection: 317143873 - Pennine Plumbing Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:30 a.m. on September 17, 2013, Employee #1 and Coworker #1, employed by a plumbing contractor, were working at an aerospace manufacturing plant. Employee #1, a plumber's assistant, was assembling a pipe section to a ball valve. He was using a pipe and bolt threading machine, Ridge Tool Company Model 1822-I. This machine is operated by a foot- switch pedal. The foot-switch pedal is like the gas pedal of a car: when you step on it, the machine starts rotating; when you step off it, the machine stops rotating. Employee #1 was using the machine to grip the pipe in a fixed position. He was using his right hand to thread the valve onto the stationary section of the pipe. Employee #1 had his right hand on the pipe and under the ball valve. He unintentionally activated the machine via the foot-switch pedal. The machine started to rotate, and the pipe rotated toward Employee #1. His fingers were trapped between the valve handle and the valve body. Employee #1 immediately either released the foot-switch pedal or kicked it away. Coworker #1, who was approximately 5 feet away, came and turned off the machine using the on/off-type switch on the side of the machine. However, the machine had already rotated enough to break Employee #1 right index finger by bending it backwards. Emergency services were called, and Employee #1 was transported to the hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair the fractured right index finger. The subsequent investigation of this event determined that the injury was caused by the machine unintentionally being activated by Employee #1 via the foot pedal while his hand was on the pipe being gripped by the pipe and bolt threading machine. Employee #1 was a full-time employee of the employer.

Keywords: ACCELERATOR PEDAL, FRACTURE, THREADING MACHINE, FINGER, FOOT CONTROL, CONSTRUCTION, CAUGHT BETWEEN, VALVE, PIPE, PLUMBING