Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

An employee was pushing an empty metal skid onto a skid conveyor. His right index finger was pinched between the skid and the skid holder, and the fingertip was amputated.

An employee was working underneath a creel calender machine, using a tool to straighten/comb wires as they enter the creel. The employee's tool contacted a pressure roller and was pulled into a pinch point along with the employee's right hand resulting in amputations to the right thumb tip, and two other fingertips.

An employee was driving a tugger, connected to a full tread cart, down an aisle. The front right corner of the cart contacted the blunt end of a guardrail. The tugger turned sharply and stopped, causing the employee to fall off and strike his face on the guardrail. He suffered fractures to the cheek and around the eye.

An employee reached to grab rubber in a conveyor belt and their arm was caught in the belt, resulting in a fractured forearm and a right index finger injury.

An employee was removing a piece of rubber from a transfer belt when the employee's right arm was caught in the conveyor, fracturing the right forearm.

An employee was operating a machine when a wire pulled his right glove resulting in amputation of the index and middle fingertips.

An employee was grinding chicken when their right index fingertip was caught in the grinder and amputated.

An employee was sharpening peeler blades when their shirt was caught in the grinding wheel. The employee sustained tendon damage and a crushed right hand.

An employee was passing through a large metal door when the door closed on the employee, resulting in a cracked rib.

An employee was preparing to cut lumber on a panel saw when the clamp engaged and caught the employee's left middle finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.

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 adjusting a pallet on a conveyor when it came off the conveyor and struck his right ankle, breaking the tibia and fibula. The employee was hospitalized.

At 2:45 p.m., an employee was outside the plant during a break before his next shift. He was speaking with an associate when he suddenly fell from the third-level steps to the ground, striking his head on the concrete. The employee was hospitalized due to internal brain bleeding, a wound to the back of his head requiring staples, and heat-related dehydration.

Two employees were replacing a motor on an overhead conveyor. The old motor fell to the floor, causing a piece of the concrete floor to fly up and strike the injured employee in the face, around the eye. The injured employee sustained a right orbital fracture, a zygomatic arch fracture, and a sphenoid fracture. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.

An employee was changing the bladder on a hydraulic press. As he lowered the bladder, his left foot was pinned between its bottom ring and the bottom mold of the press. The second toe on the foot was amputated.

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.

An employee was helping two other employees to push a pallet of tile on a loading dock. He suffered a broken fibula and was hospitalized.

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.