Shooting by other person-unintentional · Gunshot wounds
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Beckley Water Company, 119 S. Heber St., BECKLEY, WEST VIRGINIA 25801
on — Gunshot wounds, affecting the foot (feet) and ankle(s).
Final narrative
An employee was showing a coworker a problem with a handgun that would not eject its cartridge. The employee was able to pull the slide back when the cartridge went off. A portion of the bullet went through the employee's hand. A bullet fragment also struck a second employee in the left ankle and heel.
On April 1, 2023, at 4:04 PM, two employees were talking as one employee stowed his belongings in the prep room. One employee began showing the injured employee his gun when it fired. The injured employee was shot in the arm and required hospitalization and surgery.
A law enforcement employee was participating in a scenario-based demonstration by a co-worker when the co-worker's firearm accidentally discharged. A 9-milimeter bullet struck the employee in the upper right thigh, resulting in a wound that required hospitalization.
An employee noticed a polymer mixer pump was shaking and went to troubleshoot it. The employee was working to rotate the shaft of the mixer pump when the shaft started and grabbed his glove. He sustained a compound fracture to the left thumb.
An employee was taking pictures of algae and went to use the ladder when they fell 10 feet onto the cement. The employee sustained a broken leg that required hospitalization.
Employees were lubricating a chain and sprocket on an entry gate to a treatment plant. One employee's ring and middle fingers were pulled into a control panel motor drive sprocket, which amputated both fingertips.
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.
An employee was rolling up the landing gear on his trailer when the handle began to unwind and struck his face, fracturing his jaw. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.