Jennifer Geens
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 23/05) - A young worker lost half his thumb in a construction accident Wednesday morning.

The 18-year-old was cutting wood with a chop saw when the blade sliced slantwise through his thumb above the first joint.

To use that type of saw, a worker has to brace the wood with one hand while pulling the saw blade down with the other.

According to Konge Construction president Niels Konge the man had been apprenticing with the company for about a month.

Konge said it's company policy to team workers in pairs and the young man's co-worker drove him to nearby Stanton Territorial Hospital. Konge and other workers recovered the severed thumb.

The injured worker was medevaced to Edmonton but because the cut was on a slant, the thumb could not be re-attached.

He remained there overnight, and was expected to return to Yellowknife last night.

His family said that aside from the shock of the accident, he is doing fine.

Konge said this was his construction firm's first major accident and everyone was shaken up. "Ultimately it's my responsibility," he said. "I'm responsible for all my guys."

He added that working with power tools and sharp blades is always dangerous and care must be taken, and he reminded his employees of that fact after the accident.

Konge wrote a report on the incident for the Workers' Compensation Board.

Dave Grundy, manager of communications and information for NWT and Nunavut, said the WCB's chief safety officer was satisfied that the company had addressed the accident and the WCB would not be conducting an independent investigation.