Safety Bulletin – Facial Injury During Zip Tie Installation
Incident Summary
A teammate was working inside a generator enclosure. As part of the task, the employee was securing the conductors to fiberglass strut using nylon zip ties. To tighten the zip ties, the employee was using lineman pliers to pull the tag end of the tie toward their body. While applying tension, the zip tie suddenly failed and broke. The sudden release of force caused the pliers to strike the teammate in the mouth area.
The work was being performed in a tight area within the generator, limiting the employee’s ability to position themselves away from the line of fire or react when the tie failed. As a result, the employee sustained a small laceration on the lower lip and chipped a tooth.
What Happened?
The employee was working in tight quarters with limited mobility while securing conductors to fiberglass strut. To achieve a tighter bundle, the employee used lineman pliers to increase pulling force on the zip tie. When the zip tie broke under tension, the stored energy was released and the pliers traveled directly toward the employee’s face.
Although the task appeared routine, the combination of increased pulling force, body positioning, and restricted workspace created a line-of-fire hazard that resulted in injury.
Key Contributing Factors
- The employee’s face was positioned close to the work and within the line of fire.
- Additional force was applied using lineman pliers to tighten the zip tie.
- The work area inside the generator provided limited space for positioning and movement.
- The potential for zip tie failure and stored-energy release was not recognized during pre-task planning.
Lessons Learned
Many hand injuries and facial injuries occur during routine tasks when stored energy is unexpectedly released. Materials such as zip ties, banding, pull strings, and tensioned conductors can fail without warning, causing tools or material to recoil toward the worker.
Before performing these activities:
- Identify potential line-of-fire hazards associated with pulling, tensioning, or cutting materials.
- Keep your face and body out of the direct path of any stored energy.
- Reposition your body whenever possible to avoid pulling materials directly toward yourself.
- Evaluate whether the selected tool is appropriate for the task and whether alternative methods can reduce exposure.
- Stop and reassess when working in tight or restricted spaces where normal body positioning cannot be maintained.
Expectations Moving Forward
All employees should incorporate line-of-fire evaluations into their pre-task planning discussions, especially when working in confined spaces or when applying force to materials under tension.
Supervisors and crews should discuss:
- Potential stored-energy hazards associated with the task.
- Body positioning and escape paths.
- Appropriate tool selection.
- Additional controls required when work must be carried out in tight quarters.
Remember: Routine tasks can become injury events when stored energy is released unexpectedly. Take the time to identify the line of fire, position yourself accordingly, and always maintain control of tools and materials.