OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #801324
CABLE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INC.
MURRELLS INLET, SC·
Event description
EMPLOYEE'S ARM AND LEG AMPUTED BY TRENCHER CHAIN
Investigation abstract
Three employees had set up a Case trencher (Model No. 30+4) with a 1.8-meter cha in to lay a cable television line. Since it was close to lunchtime, one employee sent the other two employees to lunch. The remaining employee was digging the t rench when the trencher became stuck about 0.6 meters deep into the hole. The em ployee got off the seat with the trencher still running to dislodge the chain. T he chain started running again, caught the employee, and pulled him into the cha in, amputating an arm and a leg. He was hospitalized for his injuries.
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 25 Male
- Nature of injury
- Amputation (1)
- Part of body
- LEGS (16)
- Accident type
- CAUGHT IN OR BETWEEN (2)
- Source of injury
- MACHINE (26)
- Occupation
- Misc. electrical & electronic equipment repairers (533)
- Human factor
- MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)
- Environmental factor
- CATCH POINT/PUNCTURE ACTION (2)
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.