Accident: 170361497 - Arm Burned In Natural Gas Explosion

At approximately 12 noon on June 26, 2000, Employee #1 was helping a contractor install a condenser and coil into an existing wall furnace and air conditioning system in a home. The contractor removed the duct work at the top of the furnace while Employee #1 moved it away from the wall. As they were performing their duties, natural gas leaked into the room and exploded. Employee #1 sustained first- and second-degree burns on his left wrist and forearm. The main gas valve had not been shut off prior to removing the furnace from the wall.

installing, methane, gas leak, explosion, furnace, burn, forearm, natural gas, work rules, flammable vapors

Accident: 170361489 - Injures Forearm When Moving Towmotor And Pallets

Employee #1, a grocery clerk, was working alone, breaking down pallets that then had to be moved to designated locations. She decided to use an electric towmotor truck, but was unfamiliar with the controls and had to work hard physically to place the towmotor where she wanted it. Several hours of physical labor caused excessive strain on the muscles and tendons in Employee #1's left forearm, causing tendinitis and epicondylitis. She was placed on modified duty and provided with pain killers. Employee #1's duties included breaking down pallets, stocking the store's shelves, taking out the trash, and occasionally operating towmotor trucks.

tendon, mech mat handling, industrial truck, manual mat handling, ind trk operator, forearm, towmotor

Accident: 170360390 - Injured When Reaching Into Screw Conveyor

On September 14, 1999, Employee #1, who worked for a company that farmed row crops and processed vegetable seeds, was inspecting the screw conveyor for cleanliness after a co-worker had cleaned it, as required for seed certification. He was reaching into the conveyor hopper to remove a seed when the coworker, who had walked around to the outfeed end of the conveyor, turned it on. Employee #1 sustained serious arm and hand injuries, for which he was hospitalized.

conveyor, hopper, caught by, agriculture, work rules, screw conveyor, communication, forearm, lockout, rotating parts

Accident: 896662 - Arm Amputated In Cutting Machine

Employee #1 was operating a straight line profile machine. The machine had a pneumatically operated table that traveled in a straight line past a cutter head and then reversed to return to the start position. The cutter head was designed to move in and out at a 90 degree angle to the table following a pattern. The operator clamps a piece of stock to the table, steps on the foot switch, and the table moves past the cutter and returns. Compressed air is used to remove wood dust and chips. Employee #1 was blowing off the machine when she put her right hand behind the guard extending from the blow-off nozzle and contacted the cutter head. The rotating head pulled her hand and arm into the machine, amputating her arm below the elbow.

hand, rotating knife, caught by, amputated, arm, work rules, forearm

Accident: 170361885 - Arm Injured When Struck By Rolling Boulder

Employee #1, who worked for a state agency that did manual conservation work, was helping to re-route a trail for the Forest Service. He was standing on the trail talking to a coworker when a large rock weighing approximately 100 lb came loose and rolled down the hill. It struck Employee #1's forearm and caused him to fall backward approximately 15 ft. He was taken to Sutter Coast Hospital, where he was treated and released. He was still experiencing pain the next day, and he returned to the hospital, where surgery was performed on his forearm muscle. The cause of the accident is not known. It had rained heavily shortly before, but no other reason could be identified for the boulder to roll downhill.

rock, arm, struck by, unstable soil, forearm, boulder

Accident: 170701056 - Forearm Injured When Struck By Chain Saw

Employee #1, an inmate worker, had been assigned to a work detail trimming tree branches at a fire station. He was using a chain saw to cut a 3 in. diameter branch. After he made the final cut, the branch fell and then rebounded back up after hitting a concrete walk and wall. It struck Employee #1 in the face, and the chain saw struck his right forearm. He suffered a deep laceration, including nerve and tendon damage.

tree trimming, chain saw, portable power tool, struck by, forearm, laceration, tendon, saw, flying object

Accident: 170900591 - Arm Injured When Caught In Conveyor Chain Drive

At approximately 10:45 a.m. on July 21, 1997, Employee #1 was cleaning the conveyor system on a tortilla oven. He had used a long-handled brush to initiate the cleaning. With the conveyor system still running, he began to use hand-held paper towels to complete the job. His hand became caught in an in-going nip point, and his right arm was pulled into the system's chain drive. Employee #1 sustained lacerations to his right forearm, which resulted in loss of muscle mass and injuries to the medial and radial nerves.

cleaning, conveyor, nip point, oven, forearm, laceration, work rules, caught by, chain