Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at U.S. Forest Service-Coconino National Forest, 1824 S. Thompson Street, FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA 86001
on — Fractures, affecting the thoracic region.
Final narrative
An employee was loading an ATV onto a trailer when one of the ATV's wheels came off the trailer and the ATV tipped over, fracturing the employee's vertebra.
HospitalizedThoracic regionATV, all terrain vehicle
More severe injuries at U.S. Forest Service-Coconino National Forest
The injured employee and a crew were prepping for a prescribed burn by cutting down dead and dying timber. The injured employee dropped a 25" diameter tree and the tree took an unusual spin on the ground and rolled over his lower leg. The employee sustained a puncture wound, a laceration and a fracture to his left tibia.
An employee was on a 5-foot ladder, removing burnable material from the roof and gutters of a structure threatened by wildfire, when he fell from the ladder to the ground. He suffered an open tibia/fibula fracture to his left leg.
An employee was operating a sit-down type of material handling equipment (MHE). They were turning the MHE with the clamp attachment in the air when the MHE fell over onto its right side. The employee's right foot was caught under the battery cover of the MHE. The employee sustained a chemical burn from the battery and a fractured right ankle.
An employee was driving an unloaded forklift outside a building. During a left turn, the forklift drove off the paved area onto an unpaved surface, became unstable, and tipped over. The employee was pinned under the forklift and suffered two broken leg bones and a broken hip.
An employee was trimming tree branches from an aerial lift. As they were maneuvering the aerial bucket lift from inside, the truck drove over soft ground and tipped over. The bucket lift fell to the ground with the employee tied off inside, resulting in rib fractures.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 924120)
A crew of approximately 20 employees were constructing hand lines when a dead tree collapsed and injured three of the employees, including two hospitalizations. One employee was hospitalized due to shoulder injuries, and the other employee was hospitalized due to collapsed lungs, spinal injuries, and a broken tibia and fibula.
An employee was cutting brush and shrubs. A bee stung the employee on the base of their neck. The employee sustained an allergic reaction and was hospitalized.
An employee was engaged in initial smokejumper training which includes physical fitness testing, tree climbing training, chainsaw and crosscut certification, as well as initial introduction to equipment and smokejumper-specific safety procedures. Some of the training involves carrying 110 pounds of equipment. The employee reported tightness in his chest and difficulty breathing. The employee was hospitalized with a lung injury.
An employee participated in smokejumper training, which includes carrying weight. He suffered from dehydration and was hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis.
On September 25, 2025, an employee climbed an aluminum extension ladder and was on top of the roof of a building She was walking around on the roof, inspecting and evaluating it. She was descending the ladder when the ladder slid to the right and twisted around as she hung onto it. She then fell 10-12 feet to the paved parking lot and the ladder landed on top of her. She sustained a fractured left collarbone, multiple other fractures, and had bruising to the left side of her abdomen.
At about 5:55 p.m. on August 9, 2025, an employee lost his footing while climbing an access ladder to a 12-foot-high spotlight platform. He fell about 9 feet to the ground, breaking eight ribs on the right side.
An employee was completing an annual work capacity test. Later that night, the employee experienced severe pain in their left leg and was hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis and compartment syndrome in the lower left leg.
An employee was setting chains to secure a concrete barrier to a front-end loader. The chain became twisted and lost slack. The concrete barricade fell on the employee's left foot, causing a partial amputation to a toe.