OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14299598
KICK BACK,PORTABLE POWER TOOL,SEVERED,FINGER,WORK RULES,CONSTRUCTION,THUMB,SAW
Event description
Employee severs fingers when miter saw kicks back
Investigation abstract
Employee #1, an experienced commercial window mechanic, was on the second floor ide and 1/16 in. thick in cross-section. Employee #1 was holding the pieces agai nst the back fence with his left hand about 6 in. from the blade. He was midway through a cut when the aluminum piece flew up, throwing his left hand into the b lade and severing part of his thumb and first two fingers, and damaging his thir d finger. Why or how the blade grabbed the material is not known; Employee #1 ha d most likely been forcing the cut. He and others had previously performed this task in this manner without incident. The area was clean and dry. of an office building under construction using a Makita 151400 heavy-duty power miter saw. The saw was fitted with a 14 in. carbide-tipped 60-tooth alternate to p level blade. It had a proper guard and featured a trigger interlock and automa tic braking within 2 to 3 seconds upon release of the trigger. The power head wa s spring loaded and would pivot back up upon release of the handle. The guard wa s a pivoting plastic type that remained in contact with the surface of the mater ial as the saw passed down through it. Employee #1 was trimming about 4 in. off one end of 2 ft long aluminum extrusions, cutting pieces that were about 5 in. w
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 22 M
- Nature of injury
- 1
- Part of body
- 10
- Event type
- 6
- Source
- 26
- Occupation code
- 589
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Task assigned
- 1
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