Sudden start or stop, nonroadway · Herniated discs
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Vista Metals Georgia, 800 Martin Luther King Dr., ADAIRSVILLE, GEORGIA 30103
on — Herniated discs, affecting the back, including spine, spinal cord, unspecified.
Final narrative
An employee was driving a forklift to move materials when a piece of material rolled off the stack, causing the forklift to pitch forward and then return to the ground. The employee struck the windshield, rupturing his discs.
HospitalizedBack, including spine, spinal cord, unspecifiedForklift, order picker, platform truck-powered
An employee was being trained to operate a yard truck to move trailers in and out of docks and to place them in storage areas. The employee was standing inside the yard truck cab as the trainer demonstrated how to operate the yard truck. As they performed a tug test, the truck jolted forward, causing the employee to sustain a lower back strain. The employee experienced numbness of the toes, bilateral leg weakness, and back pain that required hospitalization.
An employee was in a boom lift when the vehicle struck a hole then stopped abruptly. The impact ejected the employee and his fall protection pulled him back into the basket. The employee possibly struck the basket and was hospitalized for a leg fracture that required surgery.
An employee was operating a three-wheeled forklift to hoist metal material with a sling system. While driving downhill in a gravel driveway, the front tire caught a root and the forklift lost momentum. This caused the hoisted material to sway and the forklift tipped forward. Inside the forklift, the employee struck against the dash and roof of the cage, sustaining a contusion to the forehead, abrasions to both legs, and later had a seizure.
An employee was moving gravel with a skid steer. The skid steer lunged forward and the employee fell backward. The employee's feet were caught between the standing plate and the framing above it, and both ankles were broken.
An employee was moving a bulldozer from one portion of the site to another. The bulldozer traveled over a mound of dirt. The blade got caught in the dirt on the opposite side of the mound and the dozer came to a sudden stop. The driver was propelled out of his seat and his head struck the top of the cab. The employee suffered two fractured vertebra and weakness in his right hand and leg.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 331315)
A maintenance technician was investigating a tool issue. He was pressing the tool clamp/unclamp button with his right hand when his hand slipped off the button, causing the spindle to clamp on his distal left index finger, resulting in amputation.
An employee had just fixed a loose aluminum coil on a rack while raised about 11 feet into the air on a forklift. While he was being lowered, he fell from the forks to the floor, suffering two fractured ribs, a punctured lung, and a fractured cervical vertebra. He was hospitalized.
An employee was troubleshooting a caster machine. While removing a cap cover, the catch pan moved up and caught his right arm against the caster blocks. He suffered lacerations and an open break of the ulna. He was hospitalized.
At 11:27 a.m. on March 15, 2025, an employee was transferring film to start a new roll when the winder shaft failed to seat properly in its cradle. The employee was knocking the unseated shaft down when his right thumb was caught. The employee sustained an amputation to right thumb.
Two employees were riding in a utility terrain vehicle down a loose gravel path. The vehicle's front wheel dug into the gravel, and it rolled over onto its side. The injured employee struck the interior of the vehicle (including the steering wheel) before landing on the driver. The injured employee suffered a 6-inch head laceration, a broken collarbone, and six broken ribs.
An employee was helping to lift the grating from a floor draining system when the grating slipped and landed on his hand, resulting in the amputation of his right middle finger at the first joint.
During a workshop meeting in a hotel, an employee heard a drilling noise, so he walked outside to see what it was. An explosion occurred (possible gas line) and his face, ear, and hair were burned. He also fell and sustained a pelvic fracture.
An employee was using a tool to remove a rag from a roll on the tube mill. The roll pulled the tool and the employee's right hand into the roll, resulting in a partial amputation of the little finger and a fracture to the index finger.