Smithsonian Pennsy Support Center

An employee was tossing a damaged toilet into a compactor. The toilet bounced off the compactor and lacerated the employee's right wrist, cutting an artery and tendon.

An employee was operating a hydraulic jack to bend a frame when the jack came loose and struck the employee. They were hospitalized for a spleen injury.

A truck had been towed into the shop with a flat tire and a blown airbag. An employee checked the tire for damage and was airing the tire. The employee was installing the valve core when the bead slipped off the rim. Air escaped, and the aluminum wheel struck the employee's head and face. The employee became unresponsive and was bleeding.

On December 14, 2023, at 8:40 p.m., three employees were inspecting milling machines for startup. A few of the sleeves on the mill drum needed to be changed out. The injured employee was trying to input a sleeve on the mill drum using a hammer. The hammer hit the edge of the drum, which caused a metal piece to splinter off and strike the employee's cheek just below the left eye. The metal splinter embedded in the back of their eye socket, resulting in pain, swelling, and bleeding that required hospitalization.

An employee was pushing a line of carts into a vestibule when the door cable snapped and struck his right ankle. The employee suffered a fracture that required surgery and hospitalization.

An employee was attending a meeting and cans of aerosol spray paint were being used nearby. The employee was hospitalized with a respiratory injury from the airborne particulates.

An employee was helping a colleague sort rare books on a table in a library vault. A book started to slip out of it's slip-box. He reached out to catch the book, but lost his balance and fell backward onto the floor. The employee sustained a fractured hip.

An employee was closing a metal door. His right middle fingertip was caught in the door's hinge as it closed and was amputated.

An employee was walking down a trail leading toward a river. The employee slipped on ice and fell, suffering broken ribs.

An employee exited an elevator, turned left, and tripped over a furniture moving cart that was against the wall of the hallway. The employee sustained injuries to their back, right leg, and two fingers.

An employee was closing a gun locker in his automobile trunk when his left middle finger was partially amputated by the lid.

An employee was ascending a flight of stairs after exiting their vehicle in an adjacent employee parking lot. The employee stepped to the right to avoid another employee on the left who was descending the stairs. The employee lost their balance and fell on the stairs. They were hospitalized with a laceration/abrasion to their chin, a fractured left humerus, and bruising to their left knee.

A mail handler was moving BMCs on the loading dock when they fell from the loading dock to the concrete ground below. The employee was hospitalized with head trauma.

An employee was on an A-frame ladder while preforming demolition of a ceiling. A section of HVAC ductwork fell on the employee and knocked them to the ground approximately 12 feet below. The employee was hospitalized with a concussion and lacerations.

On the morning of July 24, 2025, an employee was conducting synthesis of a highly toxic experimental chemical (nerve agent) in a chemical fume hood. The operation was completed at approximately 11:30 AM. The employee was exposed to the chemical and began experiencing symptoms of illness/poisoning around 1:30 PM and was hospitalized.