Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025
105,991Records 71,450Employers 85,836Hospitalizations 27,959Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-11-30

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221381007

ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS

Event
Amputated, Amputation, Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Ear, Hose, Truck, Water
NAICS
923120
Inspection type
Accident-driven
Activity number
#345474746
Employer profile
ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS
Summary number
221381007
Report ID
0950631

Event description

Employee sustains amputation and blunt trauma from pressuriz

Investigation abstract

At 10:30 a.m. on July 27, 2021, Employee #1, employed by Orange County Public Works, was assigned to clear a 10 x 15-foot concrete culvert box under a roadway using a hand-guided, high-pressure hose (rodder) connected to a Vactor truck. A coworker operated the water truck from the access road. While Employee #1 was working in the culvert, the coworker gradually raised the water pressure to 1,200 psi. The pressurized hose struck Employee #1 on the right side of the body, causing an amputation of the right ear, blunt trauma to the right shoulder and face, and a fractured clavicle. The coworker immediately shut off the water and called 911. Employee #1 was treated without hospitalization.

Victim

  1. #1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 43 M

    Event type
    1
    Occupation code
    869

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.