Other fall to lower level more than 30 feet · Intracranial injuries, n.e.c.
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Asplundh Tree Expert Company, Old Route 19, BIRCH RIVER, WEST VIRGINIA 26610
on — Intracranial injuries, n.e.c., affecting the brain.
Final narrative
On February 23, 2016, at approximately 10:40 am, an employee and his crew were clearing a powerline right-of-way. A 1/2-inch rope was placed in the tree and held by the foreman. The employee notched and back cut the 26-inch diameter poplar tree, 107 feet in height. Using the 1/2-inch rope, 120 to 150 feet in length, the foreman began tugging on the rope to assist the tree to the ground. Once the tree was safely on the ground, the foreman yelled "clear" and no one answered. The foreman found the employee on the retreat path, face down on the ground, in the opposite direction of the felled tree. The employee was rolled over and his face was covered with blood. He suffered face and head injuries and was hospitalized.
HospitalizedBrainTrees
More severe injuries at Asplundh Tree Expert Company
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After trimming a tree, an employee was taking off climbing gear while on the ground. The employee was removing the right climbing gaff and slipped, causing the gaff to impale the employee's left calf.
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On November 6, 2023, an employee was installing roofing materials on a multi-residential construction site 35 feet above ground level. The anchor on the employee's personal fall arrest system became unattached and the employee fell to the ground. They sustained multiple fractures.
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On the fifth or sixth floor deck, an employee was supervising iron workers who were measuring to place rebar. The employee was struck by a wooden tool box that was being lifted by a tower crane. The employee then struck a wooden fence and fell approximately 50 feet to the ground. The employee sustained fractures to both legs and lacerations.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 238910)
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An employee was operating a skid steer with a bucket attachment at a demolition site. While driving it to the rear of the property to park it, the employee came into contact with a live electrical transformer unit that was located outside of the facility. The employee sustained electrical burns on his hands extending up to his elbows and a fractured ankle.
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An employee was conducting routine maintenance on a mixer. New lid pins had been installed, and the employee was rotating by hand to ensure they had been installed correctly. The employee's left middle finger was caught between the lid and top of a pin. The momentum from the mixer continued, causing a crushing injury to the finger. The employee underwent a medical amputation from the top knuckle to the tip of the finger.
An employee was climbing down a 15-foot multipurpose ladder. The employee fell about 8 feet, landing on the concrete floor and the ladder itself. The employee suffered several injuries, all on the right side: broken ribs, a broken sternum, a broken temporal bone, broken shoulder, multiple fractures to the cheekbone, and a brain bleed.
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