Pacific Steel & Recycling

An employee was loading metal "skeletons" onto a flatbed with the assistance of another employee operating a forklift. The forklift operator was adjusting a plate and the injured employee's right ring finger was crushed between metal plates. The injury required medical amputation just above the first knuckle.

Employees were operating a truck-mounted car baler to bale cars at a local wrecking yard. A car slid out of the grapple, falling approximately 8 feet and striking another car. That car then struck the injured employee. The employee sustained crushing injuries and fractures.

An employee was tossing a damaged toilet into a compactor. The toilet bounced off the compactor and lacerated the employee's right wrist, cutting an artery and tendon.

An employee was operating a hydraulic jack to bend a frame when the jack came loose and struck the employee. They were hospitalized for a spleen injury.

A truck had been towed into the shop with a flat tire and a blown airbag. An employee checked the tire for damage and was airing the tire. The employee was installing the valve core when the bead slipped off the rim. Air escaped, and the aluminum wheel struck the employee's head and face. The employee became unresponsive and was bleeding.

On December 14, 2023, at 8:40 p.m., three employees were inspecting milling machines for startup. A few of the sleeves on the mill drum needed to be changed out. The injured employee was trying to input a sleeve on the mill drum using a hammer. The hammer hit the edge of the drum, which caused a metal piece to splinter off and strike the employee's cheek just below the left eye. The metal splinter embedded in the back of their eye socket, resulting in pain, swelling, and bleeding that required hospitalization.

An employee was pushing a line of carts into a vestibule when the door cable snapped and struck his right ankle. The employee suffered a fracture that required surgery and hospitalization.

A temporary employee was performing a two-person projection welding task to add a hinge reinforcement to a hollow steel door. He was positioning the hinge reinforcement while his supervisor held the door to maintain alignment. When the foot pedal was actuated, the electrode partially amputated the employee's left ring finger.

An employee was stacking bundles (12 feet long, 21 inches high) of aluminum extrusions (weighing 28 pounds each). After three bundles had been successfully stacked, the fourth tipped over when it was partially complete. It landed on the employee's right ankle/leg and broke the tibia. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee was adjusting the rollers on the mill feeder when their right thumb was crushed between two rollers, resulting in amputation of the thumb tip.

An employee was operating a core drill to bore through concrete at an active construction site. The equipment struck embedded rebar in the concrete, causing the handle to kick back and strike the employee's ribs. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured rib and a punctured lung.

An employee was loading pallets onto a truck and climbed down off a pallet after loosening straps to release the crane. The employee slipped off the flatbed truck and fell 4 feet to the dock plate/ground. The employee was hospitalized with a brain bleed and fractures to their T4, T5, and T6 vertebrae.

An employee was delivering materials. He was doing his pre-delivery inspection on the roof of the jobsite (a warehouse) when he fell through a plexiglass skylight. He landed on his feet on the concrete floor 14 feet below. The employee sustained fractures to his spine, left ulnar/radius, and right heel. The employee required surgery.

An employee was cutting cabinet trim using a table saw when four fingers on his left hand were severed, resulting in hospitalization and amputation.

An employee was removing packaging from a roll of printing substrate. The blade of their utility knife got stuck. The employee used both hands to free the knife and the blade partially amputated their left little fingertip.

A concrete batch plant operator was assisting with clearing spoil piles using a skid steer. The skid steer backed into a stationary screen plant. The employee's left little finger was crushed between the controls of the skid steer and the screen plant, resulting in a fracture and laceration. The employee's finger was surgically amputated.

An employee was standing on an extension ladder, using a torquing tool to remove bolts that secured blades to a rotor. When the torquing tool activated, its reaction arm came around and pinched the employee's right middle finger against a lifting eye. His fingertip was amputated.