Western Sugar Cooperative

An employee was helping change out socks on hard thin juice filters, part of a beet sugar manufacturing operation. While the filter lid was being removed, juice started leaking down the side of the filter. This suggested that the juice was bypassing the seat on the main shutoff valve. While the main shutoff was being checked, the valve was opened and sprayed hot juice on the employee. The employee suffered burns to the left arm, the left ribcage area, the left side of the back, and the left side of the face. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee was taking a sugar sample to the lab. As he was walking down the stairs, he slipped on the second to last stair and fell backward. The employee's ankle was wedged into the stairs, resulting in a fracture of the left distal fibula at the lateral malleolus.

An employee was changing safety filters when a filter that was under pressure sprayed hot juice onto the employee, resulting in burns to the neck and back.

Two maintenance employees were inspecting the Omega coupling on the high melter pump. During inspection, the employees realized the shaft on the pump was broken rather than the coupling. The maintenance supervisor was going to locate a rebuilt seal assembly for the pump. The employees started removing the seal assembly from the pump. As one of the employees removed the base plate bolts from the pump, the head pressure from the high melter tank pushed the seal assembly out of the pump casing and hot sugar juice sprayed onto the employees causing first and second degree burns to the upper and lower arm, hand and chest areas.

An employee was performing a parts replacement on equipment when a stainless steel mesh part struck his hand, causing a laceration through his leather work glove. He was hospitalized, requiring stitches and surgery.

An employee was checking an HVAC unit in the attic when they fell approximately 15 feet through the rafters to the floor. The employee sustained fractures to the ribs and scapula as well as a collapsed lung.

An employee was removing grating to change metal chip hoppers located in a pit. The employee lost his balance and fell approximately 12 feet from the grate, landing in the metal chip hopper. The employee sustained a sprained right foot, a left foot fracture, and a fractured L5 vertebra.

An employee was reviewing the next steps to take with the foreman when some material fell from above and landed near them. The injured employee then looked up, took a step on the catwalk, and fell through a gap, landing on the ground 15 feet below. The employee sustained three fractured vertebrae and a head laceration.

0n November 16, 2023, an employee was climbing onto a catwalk to cut valves for unit heaters in a building. The employee fell 14 feet through the attic onto the concrete floor, resulting in a fractured pelvis.

An employee was removing a rooftop curb when they fell approximately 15 feet through an opening in the roof, resulting in a fractured leg that required hospitalization.

An employee was helping change out socks on hard thin juice filters, part of a beet sugar manufacturing operation. While the filter lid was being removed, juice started leaking down the side of the filter. This suggested that the juice was bypassing the seat on the main shutoff valve. While the main shutoff was being checked, the valve was opened and sprayed hot juice on the employee. The employee suffered burns to the left arm, the left ribcage area, the left side of the back, and the left side of the face. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee was removing a beet elevating belt while mechanics were cutting a hole in the center of the belt to install the pulley point using an oscillating tool with a hook blade. The tool popped out of the belt and the tool struck the injured employee in the stomach, resulting in a laceration on the lower left abdomen.

An employee was performing maintenance on a lime kiln sump pump when they sustained second- and third-degree chemical and thermal burns.

An employee was troubleshooting the precoat/overflow tank when scalding liquid (juice) began to leak out of the tank and contacted the employee. The employee was hospitalized for burns.

An employee was clearing a jam in the bag sealer machine in the warehouse when his right thumb was caught in the belt and pulley, resulting in amputation of the thumb tip.

An employee was stacking concrete blocks for a concrete bunker. As a block was swinging into place, the employee's left leg was pinched between two blocks, resulting in injuries to his left heel and lower leg.

An employee was climbing a ladder to inspect a vent in a restaurant dining area. The ladder slid out on the floor and the employee fell approximately 12 feet onto the ladder and the floor. He was hospitalized with a dislocated shoulder and a back injury.

An employee was rappelling down a tree. When he was most of the way down, he fell on the ground and suffered a broken pelvis.

An employee was filtering a fryer with a fryer filter machine. After going around the corner and then returning to the fryers, the employee stepped into the filter machine. The hot oil burned the employee's right ankle, and the employee was hospitalized.

An employee was cleaning out corn from a grain bin. The sweep auger in the bin was activated and caught his trouser leg. His leg was pulled into the auger, which injured his calf and caused leg fractures and lacerations.