Construction Injury Narrative: Spotter Loses Fingertips in Excavator Quick Coupler [2023]

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  A 20-year-old worker lost three fingertips from his right hand when a quick coupler connecting a bucket to an excavator failed. He had been with the employer for 5 months, working as a ground person. The young worker was part of a crew setting up a shoring system. He was spotting for an operator who was using the bucket of a rented excavator to pound in a steel piling. When finished, the operator lowered the bucket to the ground. Just then, the spotter noticed the safety knuckle of the quick coupler on the ground. It had detached from the coupler where it connected the bucket to the excavator. He picked up the knuckle and moved in front of the bucket where he used his hands to feel around inside the coupler and tried to reattach the knuckle. Suddenly, the wedge of the coupler locked into place crushing his fingers between the wedge and the bucket. The incident evolved into a 3-hour, multiple agency technical rescue. The spotter lost the tips from the first three fingers of his right hand. Investigators found: The operator inspected the quick coupler earlier that day, confirmed the wedge was locked in place and there were no hydraulic leaks, and used the excavator for seven hours prior to the incident. The operator nor anyone else on site heard a detachment alarm when he lowered the bucket or when the safety knuckle detached from the coupler. No evidence of exactly what caused the knuckle to detach. The spotter did not communicate to the operator when he attempted to reattach the knuckle. REQUIREMENTS: The employer was not cited for violating safety standards. However, the following rule can prevent workers from being struck and killed by falling attachments. You must not permit any employee underneath loads handled by lifting or digging equipment. RECOMMENDATIONS: FACE investigators concluded that to help prevent similar occurrences: Train equipment operators and workers on the ground to: Never place hands inside the quick coupler or anywhere near the linkage mechanism while the hydraulic system is pressurized or the machine is on. Never attempt to repair failed equipment and to notify site supervisors when issues with equipment are suspected or noticed. Always communicate intentions and wait for confirmation before proceeding. Use an excavator-mounted pile driver instead of a bucket to drive piles. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Maintenance Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Equipment Maintenance Equipment Operation Equipment Operators Excavation Equipment Hazards Maintenance Workers Safety Education Safety Practices Training
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068020
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 71-242-2023, 2023 Jul; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Construction injury narrative: spotter loses fingertips in excavator quick coupler
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8592dd28968019f6a406c383807b66e38c354e441a64b786192d986719201396600c69ca4238dfffe25fa3495c9a55013ba8dd613691555857f047cfd7c6fbad
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229193/cdc_229193_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 408.95 KB ]