Incident date: 2015-07-23
NAICS industry code: 561730

Employees were trimming a tree. A branch got caught in the crotch of an adjacent tree. They tied one end of the rope to the branch and the other end to a skid steer to pull the branch out.  Due to the orientation of the ground, the rope partially turned around a 6-inch diameter maple tree.  While the skid steer operator advanced the skid steer to tighten the rope, the injured employee stood by the maple tree and applied downward force on the rope to prevent it from "riding up" the tree trunk. The employee's right pinky fingertip got caught between the rope and tree as the rope tightened.  About 1/8 to 1/4 inch of the fingertip was amputated.

Hazard classification:
code_event: title: Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
code_source: title: Rope, twine, string
code_nature: title: Amputations
code_body: title: Fingertip(s)
severity: high