INNOVATIVE TEXTILES

On November 9, 2023, an employee was removing plywood from the west face of a basement level buck hoist to prepare to dismantle one of the cabs. When the employee pulled on the plywood, it fell and pulled a rope that partially amputated the employee's thumb.

An employee was holding a rigging line and assisting in the removal of an old light pole from its base. When the load was lifted by a forklift, it shifted. The tag line lifted the employee off the ground and propelled him through the air. The employee landed on the ground and sustained back fractures.

An employee was performing maintenance on a bucket truck when his right hand became caught in some rope, causing amputations to three fingers down to the first knuckle.

An employee was conducting a fall rescue demonstration. A 165-pound demonstration dummy was released from a height, putting tension on the lanyard. The employee's left hand, little finger, and thumb were caught in the wire rope lanyard, resulting in a medical amputation of the left little finger as well as lacerations to the left thumb.

An employee was using a crank and cable to lower a light tower due to windy conditions. The light shaft became hung up and released the tension in the cable, which wrapped around the employee's left hand, resulting in amputations of three fingers.

At approximately 10:00 AM, employees were conducting asphalt loading operations. While securing a hose atop a truck, an employee encountered a malfunction involving a plugged hose. Pressure built up within the hose and suddenly released, causing the hose to fly off the truck. The hose contacted two employees and both employees fell approximately 7 feet. Employee 1 was on top of the truck and sustained three fractured ribs and a head contusion. Employee 1 was hospitalized. Employee 2 was climbing a ladder on the truck and sustained a fractured right leg. Employee 2 was not hospitalized.

An employee was winding a bobbin on a bobbin-winding machine when the string became entangled. While the employee was untangling it with scissors, the string caught her finger, wrapped around it tightly, and amputated it at the first joint. The machine was guarded at the time.

An employee was operating an electric pallet jack in a warehouse. As he turned out of one aisle into another, he had to reverse to get a better angle. While reversing, the pallet jack struck a metal guardrail and trapped the employee's right ankle against it. The employee's foot was broken.

An employee was checking for material flow in a screw conveyor within a material sampling port when the conveyor flight came into contact with their right hand, resulting in lacerations to their index, middle, and ring fingers.

An employee was helping to transport plastic material when their left foot was caught in the fabric cutter machine and sustained amputations to their big toe, 2nd toe, and 3rd toe. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee was delivering materials. He was doing his pre-delivery inspection on the roof of the jobsite (a warehouse) when he fell through a plexiglass skylight. He landed on his feet on the concrete floor 14 feet below. The employee sustained fractures to his spine, left ulnar/radius, and right heel. The employee required surgery.

An employee was cutting cabinet trim using a table saw when four fingers on his left hand were severed, resulting in hospitalization and amputation.

An employee was removing packaging from a roll of printing substrate. The blade of their utility knife got stuck. The employee used both hands to free the knife and the blade partially amputated their left little fingertip.

A concrete batch plant operator was assisting with clearing spoil piles using a skid steer. The skid steer backed into a stationary screen plant. The employee's left little finger was crushed between the controls of the skid steer and the screen plant, resulting in a fracture and laceration. The employee's finger was surgically amputated.

An employee was standing on an extension ladder, using a torquing tool to remove bolts that secured blades to a rotor. When the torquing tool activated, its reaction arm came around and pinched the employee's right middle finger against a lifting eye. His fingertip was amputated.