Safety Bulletin – Pinch Point Injury During Wire Spool Handling
During material staging operations, an Encore team was tasked with moving three pallets of 1000′ spools of #8 THHN wire from the P-2 level to the P-1 high bay, with the destination being the electrical room on the 3rd floor. To reduce the risk of back injuries associated with carrying heavy wire spools up stairways, the crew was directed to use a scissor lift for the material movement.
While elevating the first load, the lift stopped operating, and the crew believed the equipment had reached its weight capacity. A larger scissor lift was then borrowed from another trade partner to continue the work. Before the task could be completed, the second lift’s battery became depleted at the end of the shift. The lift was plugged in overnight with the plan to finish moving the remaining wire the following morning.
The next morning, following stretch and flex and the daily huddle, the unfinished wire movement task was unintentionally overlooked. An employee later grabbed an individual wire spool and manually carried it from the 2nd floor to the 3rd floor electrical room. While setting the spool down near other staged spools, the spool shifted and tilted unexpectedly, pinching the employee’s finger between the spool and the cinder block wall, resulting in a closed fracture to the employees’ left ring finger.
Incident Review
This incident highlights how unfinished work, when not clearly communicated or tracked between shifts, can lead employees to deviate from the original safer work plan. The crew initially identified the safer method by using mechanical lifting equipment to reduce manual handling risks. However, due to the task being incomplete and equipment readiness issues, manual material handling re-entered the task and exposed the employee to a pinch-point hazard.
Root Cause
The root cause of this incident was inadequate communication and task tracking for unfinished work requiring specific lifting equipment and safe material handling procedures.
Corrective Actions & Expectations
- All unfinished tasks must be documented and reviewed during morning huddles.
- Verify lift battery charge levels and equipment readiness before beginning material movement activities.
- Reinforce pinch-point awareness and proper hand placement when staging or setting materials.
- Use mechanical lifting equipment whenever possible when handling heavy wire spools or similar materials.
- Establish designated staging areas and ensure wire spools are stacked and stored in a stable manner to prevent shifting or rolling.
- Stop and reassess the task anytime the original work plan changes or equipment becomes unavailable.
- Remember the 50/100 Rule.
Safety Reminder
Pinch-point injuries often occur during routine tasks when attention shifts from the original work plan. Even when handling a single spool or “just finishing up,” employees must maintain proper hand positioning, keep body parts clear of pinch points, and use the safest available material handling method every time.