Accident: 170205116 - Fingertip Amputated In Coffee Grinder

At approximately 9:37 a.m. on July 6, 2000, Employee #1 was making an espresso drink for a customer when she noticed that there was no espresso in the machine and so switched on the grinder to make some more. The grinder did not start immediately and she lifted the lid to look inside. Employee #1 then stuck her right index finger into the area where the coffee comes out of the hopper. It struck the rotating grinder blade and was amputated at the first knuckle. She was transported to the California Pacific Medical Facility, where she was treated and released. This was Employee #1's third day on the job as counter help. At the time of the accident, she was not under pressure or in a rush to perform her duties. No accident-related violations were found in connection with this incident.

amputated, rotating knife, work rules, inexperience, struck against, finger, grinder

Accident: 883652 - Killed In Skidder Accident

Employee #1, age 14, was driving a Garrett skidder, model 21, up a logging road to a logging site. The skidder stalled out on the incline, rolled backward approximately 300 to 400 ft, and plunged off an approximately 50 degree incline. The skidder was not equipped with seat belts, and Employee #1 jumped out, striking his head. He was killed. Employee #1 was not adequately trained on skidder operations.

logging, skidder, slope, seat belt, head, embankment, lost control, untrained, inexperience, work rules

Accident: 515924 - Killed When Crushed Against Storage Rack

Employee #1 was in the cab of a crane, training a coworker. The inexperienced operator was behind the controls operating the crane. She was attempting to park the crane for a break period when a wooden pallet became stuck against the crane and prevented it from moving backward. Employee #1 stuck her head outside the cab and instructed the coworker to move the crane forward as she viewed the problem. The crane moved, and Employee #1's head was crushed between the side of the crane cab and steel shelving racks used to store merchandise. She was killed.

crane, inexperience, head, caught between, crushed, mech mat handling, work rules, clearance, inattention, storage rack

Accident: 100600527 - Killed When Struck By Backing Garbage Truck

Employee #1 was helping to unload furniture at the rear of a private residence. He was standing directly behind his truck and had his back to the entrance of a dead-end alley. A garbage truck decided to back into the alley because it could not turn around without going out into a muddy field. The truck did not have a back-up warning device, and vision was obscured to the rear for the driver. A "swamper," or helper, was riding on the back of the garbage truck and could see what was going to happen. He waved his arms, yelled at the driver, and did what he could to get the driver's attention, but to no avail. There was a button at his station that he was supposed to use to notify the driver to slow down or to stop; however, the helper was normally a truck driver, who was being used as a swamper because the company was short on people to load garbage. He knew about the button, but froze when he saw that the trucks were about to collide. The trucks collided, and Employee #1 became pinned between the two; one of his legs was amputated and his diaphragm and lower body were crushed. Employee #1 was immediately evacuated to the local hospital, where he died 4 hours later.

swamper, amputated, garbage truck, backing up, back-up alarm, obstructed rear view, inexperience, collision, struck by, leg