Other fall to lower level 26 to 30 feet · Traumatic injuries and disorders, unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Safway Services, LLC, IH 35 Bridge, BELTON, TEXAS 76513
on — Traumatic injuries and disorders, unspecified, affecting the nonclassifiable.
Final narrative
An employee was transitioning from a suspended scaffold to a stair tower when he fell approximately 30 feet to the ground.
An employee was dismantling a scaffold system when a cable line supporting the counterweight for the scaffold broke. This caused the counterweight to suddenly drop and catch the employee's left thumb and index finger between the weight and a steel cross beam, resulting in the amputation of the thumb at the first knuckle and fracture of the index finger.
An employee was dismantling a scaffold. While walking across two 7' steel scaffold planks, the planks separated and the employee fell 18 feet through the gap to the concrete surface below. The employee sustained a fractured left clavicle, fractured arm and a collapsed lung.
A work crew was wrapping the steep tank with poly to protect it against the weather. To do so, the crew was moving the grating away from the tank so that they could slide the poly down and tie it to the tank. While setting down the end of the grating, the injured employee's left fifth finger became caught between the grating and the I-beam. When he went to pull his finger out, he partially severed the fingertip, which had to be surgically amputated.
An employee was laying down bridging (angle iron that is welded onto open web joists). He was moving backward toward the edge of a joist when his foot slipped. He lost balance and fell backward away from the structure and landed on the ground about 30 feet below. The employee sustained a broken right leg. The employee was wearing a harness but it was not connected at the time of the fall.
On June 16, 2023, an employee was checking the I-beams on a bridge. He unhooked his harness to move across the section of the second beam. While hooking his harness on the third beam, his foot hit the cable that was connected to the beam and fell approximately 25 to 30 feet to the muddy clay floor below. The employee sustained a left hip and femur fracture.
An employee was using a 60-foot ladder to access the fourth floor of a building in order to paint the balcony. The employee was holding onto the handrail while painting it when the handrail brackets broke, causing him to fall approximately 30 feet to the ground and land on top of air conditioning units. The employee suffered severe lacerations on the face and fractures to the cheekbones and eye bones. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee entered a portable structure that was being rigged up to a crane. The crane began lifting the portable structure with the employee inside when the structure fell 15-30 feet to the ground. The employee sustained a left leg fracture, a dislocated right ankle, and back injury.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 238990)
A crew was relocating a dumpster (containing approximately 200 pounds of demolished wire) to access the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units they were servicing. During movement of the dumpster, a section of carpet tile dislodged from the floor, causing an employee to lose his footing, slip, and fall. He landed on his right wrist, resulting in a fracture.
An employee was cutting a board using a circular saw. The saw pinched, kicked back, and cut the employee's left ring and little fingers. The employee suffered an amputation to the little finger.
An employee was using an aluminum extension ladder to remove gutters at a height of approximately 20 feet. As they were removing the gutters, part of the gutter collapsed and struck the ladder, causing it to move sideways. The employee fell from the ladder and sustained fractures to ribs on the left side and their right forearm.
An employee was using an electric saw to cut a piece of wood for a fence. The saw slipped out of his hand and lacerated his left leg. He was hospitalized.
An employee was erecting a scaffold. A side bracket was not secure. The employee stepped on the bracket to test it and fell 18 feet to the concrete floor resulting in fractures to the ankles and femurs. He was not using fall protection equipment.
After cutting a slab of beef short ribs, an employee turned to grab the pieces he had cut and his right hand contacted the saw blade. The employee sustained an amputation to his right index finger.
An employee was unloading a carpet pad from a truck when they fell from the truck dock to the concrete below, resulting in five fractured ribs and an injury to their left lung.
An employee was walking up a walkway to enter a building through the back entrance when she tripped over the lip of the cement ramp. The employee fell and sustained a fractured right hip.