Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126068527 - Downey School District

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximate 9:00 a.m. on March 2, 2000, Employee #1, a groundskeeper, was mowing grass on the school ground using an Excel Hustler tractor. This Excel Hustler brand tractor is a sit-on type mower with a grass evacuation system and a storage hopper. Grass is cut by the mower blades of the tractor, which then go into a blower housing. A fan in the blower housing pushes the cut grass through the transfer tube and collects in the hopper at the reel of the mower. The grass on the school ground was long and wet. Two days before the accident, there was a rainstorm in the area. The blower housing easily plugs up when grass is too long and wet. The blower housing became plugged and cut grass could not be collected into the hopper. Employee #1 parked the tractor, and started to unclog the grass inside the blower housing. Employee #1 did not stop or disengaged the power source of the tractor engine and did not use an extension tool provided by the employer to unclog the blower housing. Employee #1 disconnected the transfer tube, and placed his left hand into the blower housing in order to clean out the grass. Employee #1's middle finger and ring finger of his left hand contacted the fan blades and were amputated. Employee #1 was treated but not hospitalized.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, CLOGGED, LAWN MOWER, UNGUARDED