Amputations

An employee was assisting with the placement of a vise vibratory hammer with a clamp onto a road plate that was vertically imbedded in the ground. The crane was lowered onto the road plate while the employees rotated the hammer into position. As the hammer s jaws were engaged onto the plate, the hammer shifted away from the injured employee. He was then pulled by the hammer as the clamp remained stationary on the embedded road plate for support of excavation. The hammer pulled him toward the clamp, pinching the employee's fingers against the stop plate on the rail and the clamp. The employee's right middle and ring fingers were partially amputated.