Worker has surgery for crushed finger after bolting accident

An inexperienced employee became seriously injured while fastening equipment.

A vacation mining engineer received urgent medical attention for a crushed finger. The nipper’s left hand was recently pinched between the face and end of a jumbo boom at an undisclosed mine.

“The finger was crushed and required surgery,” the New South Wales Resources Regulator said in a safety alert.

Investigators believe the temporary worker was inadequately supervised, and his experience, competence, knowledge and understanding of the task should have received greater attention.

“Inexperienced workers including apprentices, trainees, graduates and vacation students require additional supervision,” they said.

The regulator confirmed 33 per cent of all notified injuries involved fingers, hands and wrists between 2017 and 2020.

“In any of the three years in the reporting period, serious injuries to hands, fingers and wrists were often double the serious injuries to any other bodily location. Notable increases were observed across the three years in serious injuries to head or neck (five to 18), upper limbs (eight to 17) and trunk or chest (seven to 12) during the same period,” its 2020 safety performance report said.

Nearly half of finger, hand and wrist injuries occurred in the underground coal sector – mainly in the Hunter and southeast regions.

“Across the three-year period, a substantial proportion (45 per cent) of serious injuries to hand, fingers or wrist occurred in the underground coal sector. Notable increases in injuries to head or neck (two to 11) and upper limbs (four to nine) were also observed in the underground coal sector,” the report said.

“A notable increase was observed in serious injuries to hands, fingers and wrists in contractors (nine to 22), while similar injuries to employees have decreased (20 to seven).”

Click here to download the full report.

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