Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at SULZER TURBO SERVICES HOUSTON, INC, 11518 OLD LA PORTE ROAD, LA PORTE, TEXAS 77571
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
While grinding on a disc sander, an employee's finger became lodged between the platform and the sander, amputating the distal tip of his right thumb.
Employees were using a forklift equipped with four wire slings to move a 20-foot by 6-foot roofing panel from the work area to the laydown yard. The slings were threaded through the forklift's forks (two slings per fork), and the other ends were secured to the panel with shackles. The forklift was reversing through a bay door opening and the injured employee was applying pressure to a corner of the panel so it would fit through the opening. The load shifted, causing a sling to slide off a fork. The roof panel then fell onto the injured employee's left foot, resulting in a fractured ankle.
An employee was sharpening peeler blades when their shirt was caught in the grinding wheel. The employee sustained tendon damage and a crushed right hand.
An employee was preparing to cut lumber on a panel saw when the clamp engaged and caught the employee's left middle finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 333611)
Four employees were traveling in a utility task vehicle (UTV) on the east lot of the site. While turning, the UTV flipped over onto the driver's side. The driver's left wrist and hand were crushed by the frame of the UTV resulting in a fractured and dislocated wrist, as well as hand injuries. The driver was hospitalized and required surgery.
On August 15th, 2025, an employee was aligning/connecting a coupler to the generator of a wind turbine. The coupler was secured in place by a strap that was connected to the turbine's chain hoist and a bolt. While lining up the remaining holes, the coupler rotated while the employee's right index finger was in one of the bolt holes, causing a partial amputation through the phalanx.
Employees were preparing to unload a wind turbine gearbox from a flatbed trailer. An employee went to reposition himself on the flatbed trailer and grabbed onto a wooden piece of the shipping cribbing for support. The piece of wood began to come loose, causing the employee to lose his balance. The employee jumped to the ground about 4 feet below and landed on his feet. His left ankle rolled and the employee was hospitalized with a fractured ankle that required surgery.
An employee was working to move a paper roller carriage, which is a 3 by 3-foot paper roll weighing approximately 500 pounds. The employee's hands were positioned in the area where the spool meets the cradle. As the employee moved the carriage across a floor track, the paper roll was dislodged and caught the employee's finger, severing it. The employee's right middle fingertip was partially amputated.
After cutting a slab of beef short ribs, an employee turned to grab the pieces he had cut and his right hand contacted the saw blade. The employee sustained an amputation to his right index finger.
An employee was unloading a carpet pad from a truck when they fell from the truck dock to the concrete below, resulting in five fractured ribs and an injury to their left lung.
An employee was walking up a walkway to enter a building through the back entrance when she tripped over the lip of the cement ramp. The employee fell and sustained a fractured right hip.