Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at TENNECO INC., 1601 HIGHWAY 49B, PARAGOULD, ARKANSAS 72450
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee removed a worn out sprocket from a Brehm Tube loader machine. The sprocket was repaired and placed back into the machine. The machine was energized and failed to automatically feed. The employee opened the machine while the machine was energized to try to engage the machine by pushing a chain with his left index finger. His finger was caught in the machine resulting in an amputation.
AmputationFinger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c.Metal, woodworking, and special material machinery, n.e.c.
A maintenance employee was conducting repairs on the conveyor belt of an automatic palletizer. The employee's shirt fell in front of a sensor causing the equipment to energize. The employee's right middle finger was caught by chains within the conveyor belt motor resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee was performing an air check on an articulated dump truck when their finger was pinched in the clamping mechanism on the lift assist. The employee's right middle finger was amputated above the distal interphalangeal joint.
An employee was responding to a work order relating to a machine that was not cooling when the lid of the machine lowered onto the employee's thumb. They sustained a left thumb fracture and partial amputation that required hospitalization.
An employee had just replaced a broken sprocket and put in a new chain on a high-volume oil conveyor. The chain seized up. As he tried to free it, it took off and his left index finger was caught between the chain and the sprocket. The fingertip was amputated halfway up the nail.
Two employees were repairing the hydraulic engagement pins on a rented front-end wheel loader. The machine controls were activated to move the attachment pins and an employee's finger was caught between the pins and the bushings. Their right index finger was partially amputated.
An employee was cleaning the conveyor on a piece of equipment when they slipped and their right hand was pulled into the chain sprocket. The employee's fifth fingertip was amputated.
An employee was throwing blankets onto a blanket folding and stacking machine. A blanket got stuck in the machine and she attempted to remove it when the machine contacted her right little finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 336330)
An employee was using a forklift to dump metal into a furnace. The furnace exploded, causing burns to multiple parts of the employee's body. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was preparing to bend a steel tube by loading it into a computer numerical control (CNC) bender's clamping jaws. Her right middle fingertip was caught in the clamping saws, resulting in an amputation.
An employee was running a coil into the die when his hand slipped and contacted the cut-off hole of the die. The employee sustained a partial traumatic transphalangeal amputation of the left middle finger.
An employee was operating an ironworker (steel punching/shearing) machine. A piece of the tooling broke off and struck the employee's neck; a fragment was lodged in his neck. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
On October 25, 2025, an employee was stringing up a new reel of tire tread on a machine. The employee pulled a 6-inch tail and proceeded to spool up the liner. As the machine was jogged to begin the liner wrapping process, the liner caught the employee's glove and pulled their right arm into the liner, causing a fracture to the arm.
An employee was doing a cable change on top of an electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane. They were positioned between the cable drum and the drive shaft. While rotating the cable drum, the employee reached for the new cable that was to be installed. The grease fitting on the drive shaft caught their fall harness and pulled them underneath the drive shaft. The employee was pinned between the drive shaft and two pieces of angle steel, resulting in a fracture to their left hip.
On October 5, 2025, an employee was pulling a pressure washer hose when it it disconnected from the cooker. The employee was struck by jets of high-pressure water, resulting in lacerations to their left thigh requiring surgery. The employee was hospitalized.