Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309297372 - Lehman Construction Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

On December 7, 2006, Employee #1 and a coworker were working for a general contractor who had contracted to paint a recreational facility. They were full-time payroll employees with no other contracts. Employee #1 was working as a painter. He and his coworker were cleaning up, as they routinely do at the end of the workday. The coworker was picking things up and cleaning paint brushes and rollers. Employee #1 was cleaning out a Titan Model 440i airless paint sprayer, with Serial Number 0412400317, in a five-gallon bucket. The sprayer was being cleaned according to the manufacturer's recommendations. These call for the sprayer to be set in the cleaning mode, in which it pulsates and keeps the output pressure under 200 psi. As Employee #1 depressed the spray gun trigger, he momentarily lost control of the spray gun and shot himself on the fifth (little) finger of his left hand. He sustained an extensive high pressure paint injection injury as a result of a puncture wound. He was hospitalized.

Keywords: FINGER, CLEANING, HIGH PRESSURE, PAINTER, PUNCTURE