Verizon: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jan 12, 2010: Employee amputates finger while removing telephone pole

On January 12, 2010, Employee #1 was removing a telephone pole, as part of his d uties as a lineman/cable splicer. Employee # 1 was working with two coworkers. The telephone pole was approximately 30 feet high and buried six feet in the gr ound. The team first attempted to remove the telephone pole using a boom truck and sling placed on the pole, which did not cause any movement of the pole. The team then attempted to use a pole jack to remove the telephone pole. Employee #1 held the pole, and the coworkers wrapped the chain around the pole. Employee #1 then placed one link of the chain into the U-shaped slot on top of the cylin der of the pole jack and placed the large D-shaped link of the chain over the U- shaped slot to secure the chain. The coworker operating the boom truck then oper ated a lever to move the pole jack to pull the pole, which lifted approximately 12 inches. The boom operator retracted the pole jack and then pulled the pole fi ve more times to completely remove it from the ground. When the pole was complet ely extracted out of the ground and was being held by the load line of the boom truck, Employee #1 went to the pole jack and lifted the chain link out of the U- shaped slot with his right hand. When Employee #1 placed his right hand on the c hain and started to lift it, the pole moved and pushed down on the chain, causin g Employee #1's hand to be pinched between the bottom of the D-shaped link and t he top of the pole jack. Employee #1 was wearing gloves. When he removed them, the top of his middle finger stayed in the glove. The top of the finger below th e fingernail was gone and there was bone exposed. Employee #1 was provided firs t aid onsite and then taken by a coworker to the Lancaster Community Hospital, w here he was treated and released. Employee #1 returned for outpatient surgery l ater that week.

Incident on Dec 15, 2003: Worker gets entangled in coil and dislocates hip

At approximatly11:50 a.m. on December 15, 2003, Employee #1, a 38-year-old with Verizon was part of a crew of employees who were installing optical cable with p lastic tubing on the overhead phone lines. Employee #1 was alone next to a reel of plastic tubing, inner-duct, for the optical cable. The duct has rope to pull the fiber cable through. The tubing has the following identification: Dura-line (Manufacture) Sparks, NV Middleboro, KY 1.25-inches, SDR-11 Smooth/Rib Interduct that was 81.5-inches diameter and 45.625-inches wide with metal with square tub ing. The reel was mounted on a trailer, had no identifications on reel, the trai ler used to pull the reel was a Hogg and Davis Designer and Manufactures Max. Re el Load, 10,000 pounds 2579 E. 67th St. TC339691 Long Beach CA 90805 Model Numbe r P120 BV/H 108 Serial number 1H9401213A1011107 Month 9, Year 1980. Employee #1 was told by the lead-person to stand by the reel and wait to insure that the cre w pulled enough inter-ducts. The crew was not in view of Employee #1, so radios were used for communication. A truck using a man-lift with a basket pulled the i nter-duct. Employee #1 was in the street with cones to block off the right lane. At the time of the incident, Employee #1 said he was distracted, not himself, a nd was preparing to tie off the duct with rope. The duct is tied to the shaft su pport to stop the reel from rotating. This is done as a procedure to prevent sla ck. He said he tied it off prematurely without getting the radio signal from the crew to tie off. He said he was "zoning" and was trained and knew what he did w as not in the procedures for the radio calls. The truck pulled the cable and the left leg of Employee #1 got caught in the spoke of the right side of the traile r flipping him over the top. Employee #1 said he dislocated the right hip and pu lled the left leg out of the socket.

Incident on Oct 19, 2003: Employee amputates finger when caught in press roller

At approximately 11:30 p.m. on October 19, 2003, Employee #1, an assistant print service man, was assigned to the Coebaw Commander press, Serial Number 6 88 050 OE, manufactured by Koenic & Bouer. The press had experienced folding problems that had not been resolved during the previous shift. The press supervisor told the crew that they had spent too much time on that job, and to get ready for ano ther print. Employee #1 was cleaning the plate cylinder with a rag, while the ro ller was running in a crawl mode. While cleaning the plate cylinder, the rag bec ame caught between the plate cylinder and the water form roller. The rag pulled his right gloved hand into the nip point created by the rollers, causing a parti al amputation of his finger. Emergency services were called and Employee #1 was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and released the following day.

Incident on Nov 15, 2002: Employee injured when he falls from a ladder

At approximately 5:59 p.m. on November 15, 2002, Employee #1, a telephone techni cian, was repairing telephone lines attached to a power pole. The ladder he was working from started to slip at the top and he fell. Employee #1 was hospitalize d with multiple fractures.

Incident on Mar 20, 2001: Employee injured in fall from trolley ladder

Employee #1 received a fracture when he fell from a trolley ladder and was hospi talized.