Exposure through intact skin, eyes, or other exposed tissue · Second degree chemical burns and corrosions
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Abernathy Company, 3800 Abernathy Dr., TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS 71854
on — Second degree chemical burns and corrosions, affecting the knee(s).
Final narrative
An employee was moving a 55-gallon drum of hydrofluoric acid onto a pallet on a forklift. The employee pushed the drum with his hands and knee. Approximately 1 hour later, he noticed his pant leg was wet and recognized the acid odor. He suffered 2nd degree burns to his knee cap and was hospitalized.
An employee was using a clamp fork truck to load a railcar with rolls of material. The employee exited the lift to put a mat between two of the rolls. The roll held by the fork truck's clamp (60 inches, weighing 3,000-3,500 pounds) dropped from the clamp onto his arm, covering it from hand to bicep. He sustained compartment syndrome, with blood clots, in the arm.
An employee was closing a boxcar door when his right middle finger was pinched between the door and the boxcar. The right middle finger was amputated to the first digit.
On November 27, 2023, an employee was emptying a 2-inch product line that transports sodium hydroxide liquid from a rail car to a 275-gallon tote tank. The nozzle came out of the tote and sprayed sodium hydroxide onto the employee's face. The employee was hospitalized with chemical burns to their face, mouth, and neck.
An employee was working with sulfuric acid as part of the production process. While transferring the chemical from a large container to a smaller container, it splashed on his body and hand, resulting in a chemical burn.
An employee knelt in wet concrete while performing work as a concrete finisher and sustained a chemical burn to the right shin. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
An employee was using a 5-gallon bucket to unload acid product from a tank. Residual product leaked into the containment area, causing the employee to sustain first- and second-degree burns to the chest, as well as third-degree burns to the arms.
An employee was transferring an alkaline cleaning chemical from a bulk container into 1-gallon containers. The employee lifted a gallon container by its label tag. The tag broke causing the container to fall approximately 14-18 inches. The container struck the ground and the contents splashed onto the employee causing chemical burns to their eyes.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 325998)
An employee was walking on a sidewalk and stubbed his toe on an elevated portion of concrete, causing him to trip and fall. The employee's right knee was dislocated.
An employee was removing a hose from a chemical tank after filling the tank with hexamethylenediamine (HMD). He checked the line to ensure that the hose was clear, then disconnected the hose at the connection. Residual chemical sprayed onto his face, causing a second-degree burn. He was hospitalized.
Two employees were moving a railcar (plastic pellet hopper car) using a mobile railcar mover. One employee was the engineer in control of the railcar mover and the injured employee was a switchman. The railcar mover went forward and the hopper railcar struck the injured employee, resulting in a severe crushing injury to the employee's right arm.
An employee was opening a filter housing in the potassium chloride production area and got sprayed with a hot solution of potassium chloride brine. The employee sustained thermal burns to their right hand and legs.
An employee was performing maintenance on a guillotine cutter machine. As the employee was placing a pin in the machine, his left middle fingertip was caught, resulting in a partial amputation to the finger. The machine was not locked out at the time.
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.