Special Metals

On August 28, 2015, at approximately 6:45pm, while performing maintenance on a machine, another employee activated the machine after receiving verbal confirmation from the mechanic to go ahead. The maintenance mechanic suffered the amputation of his left thumb after it was pinched between a table and material near the entry end of the cap line.

An employee was loading a corn train and opening and closing the top hatches of the grain rail cars. As the employee unhooked the snap hook of their self-retracting lifeline (SRL) that was temporarily hooked to a rail car, the cars began to move. The employee's left index finger was caught between the snap hook and the rail car, resulting in partial amputation.

An employee was opening train car hatches on top of a train. The train was backing up to scan the cars in when the employee's foot became stuck. He was then dragged across two rail cars sustaining a concussion and a toe injury.

Two employees were opening lids on railcars to prepare the cars for loading on a track. Both employees were in full body harnesses and were connected by a self-retracting lifeline (SRL) to a rail fall safety system. The train started moving north and the employees realized that the cars were going to move beyond the fall protection coverage and decided to unhook from the rail fall protection. Employee 1 assisted the injured employee and unhooked from the system. As the injured employee attempted to unhook, the SRL ran out of cable, roughly 25 feet from the rail shed. The injured employee was pulled onto his back and remained stationary on his back, held by the SRL cable, as the rail cars moved under him. The employee sustained a laceration and contusion to the top of the head; bruising and scrapes to the lower back, legs and arms; a cut on the right hand; and a bruised thumb.

An employee was opening a train gate for a rail company. Before the employee could open the gate, the train struck the gate which knocked the employee down and rendered him unconscious. The employee sustained fractures to the skull and right eye socket.

An employee was riding on an amusement park's mountain ride. He lost his balance and came partly out of the cart; his arm hit the track and his arm was broken.

An employee was adjusting the tension on a grinder belt when three of their fingers got caught in the belt and pulley and were amputated.

A employee's left index finger was pulled into a capstan, resulting in a partial amputation.

An employee was cutting a metal square on a hydraulic shear when his left hand got caught between the metal and the shear block. The employee's middle finger was amputated.

An employee was uncoupling railcars while the cars were in motion and a car ran over her left lower leg, resulting in crush injuries and amputation below the knee. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee was working to remove a piece of wood that was jamming a transfer conveyor at the shredder. He used a tool to clear the jam, then reached to grab the wood. His sleeve got caught in the conveyor and his right arm was pulled into the pulley. The employee was hospitalized with an open fracture and a crush injury/laceration to his right forearm. The machine was running at the time.

An employee tripped over a concrete curb stop in a parking lot. The employee fell to the ground, landing on their left hip and breaking it.

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 ladder when it slipped. The employee fell, suffering a broken scapula and broken ribs. The employee was hospitalized.

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.