Runaway Saw Almost Hits Man Near Construction Site
How far away is death? A runaway saw shows it might be closer than expected.
A high-speed runaway saw nearly struck a resident of Eugene, Oregon earlier this year. The four-foot-tall concrete blade somehow slipped from the nearby construction site, through the parking lot, and straight into the wall of the establishment he entered.
The man was mere seconds and inches away from what would have been an undoubtedly life-threatening injury. See for yourself:
Miraculously, no one was hurt from this affair.
How does such a large saw run away like that?
According to KEZI 9, the local news station that covered the incident, Northwest Natural had contracted Empire Concrete Cutting to help fix a leaky gas valve on the street.
Northwest Natural immediately paused all projects with this company until the root cause analysis investigation was complete. A complaint was also anonymously filed with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
Initial testimonials provided to KEZI 9 did not provide a clear answer to the runaway blade. One contractor claimed a loose bolt in conjunction with an operational was to blame.
However, investigators concluded that the blade lost tension due to excessive usage. OSHA cleared Empire Concrete Cutting after the saw was replaced.
What can we learn from a runaway saw?
While it might be easy to brush off this situation as an anomaly, it can absolutely reoccur if the root cause is not properly discovered and handled.
Replacing an overused blade will not prevent another accident in the future. Workers may need more training to identify the signs of equipment malfunction before it occurs, for example.
System Improvement offers a 2-Day Course for Equifactor® Equipment Troubleshooting. This training equips workers with the skills to troubleshoot efficiently, problem-solve effectively, and, most importantly, develop improvements proactively.
Don’t wait for a runaway saw to develop your root cause analysis program. Reach out to us today:
