Caught in running equipment or machinery, n.e.c. · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Elite Elastomers, Inc., 200 CR 565, RIPLEY, MISSISSIPPI 38663
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was putting raw material into a rubber mixer. The shaft on the ram broke, causing the ram to drop down and crush two fingers on the right hand.
AmputationFinger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c.Special process machinery, n.e.c.
Employees were assembling and testing a butterfly valve unit and actuator combo. When the unit was function tested with air, the valve gate closed on an employee's left thumb resulting in a fracture and laceration.
An employee was doing a daily inspection of the sifter screen on a mixer when the mixer line activated. The armature for the screen struck the employee's right wrist. Their wrist was cut and their hand was fractured.
An employee was doing a dry run during the setup of an ice cream machine. The machine indexed and the filler head amputated the employee's left middle finger above the last knuckle.
An employee was on a 3-foot ladder guiding cable onto a spool during installation on an overhead door. As the control box was jogged, the employee's hand was caught between the cable and spool, resulting in a wrist and hand fracture.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 325212)
On July 16, 2025, at around 2:20 PM, an employee was drilling a hole in a metal bracket. One end of the bracket was secured in a vise. When drilling, the bracket twisted and wrapped around the employee's left index finger. The employee's fingertip was amputated near the top joint.
An employee was manually lifting a 2-inch roll of paper weighing 58 pounds onto the line when they suffered a lower back injury. The employee was hospitalized.
On April 14, 2025, an employee was adding material into a mixer for rubber manufacturing. The employee was removing a piece of rubber under the door of the machine when the machine was started. The employee's left hand was shut in the door and they were hospitalized with a fractured hand. The machine was not locked out/tagged out at the time.
An employee was driving a forklift after putting trash into the trash compactor. The forks of the lift struck uneven asphalt on the road, causing the forklift to abruptly stop. The employee bounced up and struck his head on the forklift cage, resulting in a skull fracture.
Two employees locked out/tagged out a screw for digging out rubber, which caused the paddle screw to get stuck. They removed the rubber from the paddle screw, removed the lock out/tag out, and restarted the machine. When it restarted, the injured employee's right leg became entangled in the paddle screw, resulting in a fractured leg.
An employee was checking a pole-type transformer tank for leaks. A hydraulic clamping device was lowered onto his right thumb and crushed it against the sharp edge of the bottom of the tank. He suffered a partial transphalangeal amputation to the thumb.
The injured employee was standing behind a table. She jumped out to scare another employee, but tripped and fell on the tile floor, injuring her right ankle/foot. She was hospitalized with a dislocated ankle that required surgery.
An employee was going into a trailer to mark product for shipment and the trailer pulled away from the dock. The employee fell out of the trailer, contacted the dock plate, and then fell to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a punctured lung, fractured ribs, and contusions.
An employee was hooking up bundled tie-downs with a chain. While he was holding a hook, the other hook was unlocked. This caused the employee's hook to slide down and pinch his right index finger between the chain and the shackle. He suffered an amputation to the fingertip (without bone loss), as well as an open fracture.
An employee was operating a gas tugger to lift metal sheeting. His left hand was pulled into the pulley, which crushed his left thumb, resulting in avulsions and other tissue damage. He was hospitalized and required surgery.