OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14295661
FRACTURE,FINGER,CRUSHED,HAND,CONTUSION
Event description
TOP OF TABLE DROPPED ON EMPLOYEE'S HAND AS HE ADJUSTED IT
Investigation abstract
EMPLOYEE #1, A PASTE-UP ARTIST, WAS WORKING IN THE COMPOSTION ROOM ARRANGING CLA S. THE EMPLOYEE SUSTAINED A FRACTURE TO THE RING FINGER ON HIS RIGHT HAND AND A SEVERE CONTUSION TO THE MIDDLE FINGER. THE EMPLOYEE MISJUDGED THE ACTION OF THE TABLE TOP, NOT REALIZING THAT THE TABLE TOP COULD FALL 4 INCHES BELOW THE THE HO RIZONTAL PLANE AT THE REAR. HE COULD HAVE EASILY GRABBED THE TABLE TOP AT THE SI DES, WHERE THE TOP EXTENDS OUTWARD 12 INCHES PAST THE FRAMEWORK. HE COULD NOT HA VE BEEN INJURED HAD HE HELD THE TABLE AT THE SIDE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF AN Y KIND IF PPE USE. SSIFIED AD PAGES FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATE MAKING DEPARTMENT. THE DRAFTING TABL E THE EMPLOYEE USED WAS HIGHER AT THE REAR THAN AT THE FRONT. THE EMPLOYEE PREFE RRED A PERFECLY HORIZONTAL TABLE TOP. THE TOP WAS HINGED ON THE FRONT EDGE, WITH ADJUSTING SCREWS ON THE SIDES. AT ABOUT 12 NOON ON SEPTEMBER 27, 1986, EMPLOYEE #1 TRIED TO LOWER THE TABLE TOP INTO A HORIZONTAL POSITION. THE ADJUSTING SCREW S WERE STUCK, SO HE PLACED HIS RIGHT HAND ALONG THE REAR EDGE AND POUNDED THE TA BLE TOP WITH HIS LEFT HAND. THE REAR OF THE TABLE SUDDENLY RELEASED AND DROPPED, CRUSHING THE EMPLOYEE'S FINGERS BETWEEN THE TABLE TOP AND THE SUPPORTING MEMBER
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 20 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 10
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 736
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 2
- Task assigned
- 1
Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.