Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315773572 - Arb Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Foster City District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:50 p.m. on November 14, 2011, Employee #1 and coworkers were involved in a hydrostatic testing project, which required the excavation of a street to remove and replace faulty high-pressure valves. A request was given to retrieve an end shore jack in the excavation site. Employee #1 choked a lifting strap around the middle of the end shore jack, where a hook on a backhoe was to be connected. A coworker operated the backhoe. As Employee #1 positioned the hook on the strap, the backhoe operator moved the hoist up, which suddenly jerked the hook and the strap upward. Employee #1's left thumb was caught between the hook and the strap, amputating the tip of his thumb. The backhoe operator reported that he could not clearly see Employee #1; however, other employees stated otherwise. Further, one of the employees stated that Employee #1 was standing on the pipe above the jack being removed, so the top of his head was at the street level. After the incident, Employee #1 was transported to a medical center, where he underwent procedures for finger amputation and was hospitalized for postoperative care.

Keywords: ATTACHMENT HOOK, AMPUTATED, THUMB, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED