Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet · Major tears to muscles, tendons, ligaments
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at CARGILL MEAT SOLUTIONS CORPORATION, 1505 E. BURLINGTON AVENUE, FORT MORGAN, COLORADO 80701
on — Major tears to muscles, tendons, ligaments, affecting the knee(s).
Final narrative
An employee was walking down a staircase when he overstepped from the second-to-last-step to the bottom of the staircase and fell forward onto his knees. The patella tendons were torn in both of his knees, requiring surgery and hospitalization.
HospitalizedKnee(s)Stairs, steps-indoors
More severe injuries at CARGILL MEAT SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
A maintenance employee was called to look at a pallet conveyor machine where a chain had fallen off a sprocket wheel. When the employee grabbed the loose chain, a light sensor caused the machine to restart. This created a pinch point between the chain and sprocket that caught the employee's left little finger. The finger was surgically amputated at the second knuckle.
A conveyor drive had been strapped to a lift for removal. As the drive was removed, the strap holding it shifted, causing it to swing. An employee's right hand was caught between the swinging drive and the frame of the conveyor, and the last joint of the little finger was amputated.
An employee was unjamming a box coming from a case sealer when their right hand was caught in a conveyor belt. Their middle and ring fingers sustained amputations to the second knuckle.
An employee had finished sharpening a knife on the grinding wheel and was returning it when he lost grip of the handle. As the employee reached to catch the it, his abdomen was lacerated by the knife blade in the right lower quadrant.
An employee was staging product on the shipping dock while operating a lift truck. As the employee was driving from the shipping dock to the finished goods warehouse, the lift controls began malfunctioning. The vehicle collided with a bollard and the employee's leg was caught between it and the vehicle, resulting in multiple leg, ankle, and foot fractures.
An employee was climbing a step ladder while carrying a 3-foot piece of conduit. As he went to reposition his feet on the ladder by pivoting, he slipped and fell from the third rung of a 6-foot ladder. The employee sustained fractures to the left femur, right elbow, and right ring finger.
An employee was descending a 4-step maintenance stand when she missed the bottom step and fell to the hangar floor. The employee suffered a left hip fracture.
An employee stopped a belt and was going to check it for missing packages. She fell backward 3-4 feet from an elevated platform and sustained a broken right arm.
An employee had just finished a routine concrete pour and was ascending the ladder to clean the concrete mixer truck. The employee lost their grip and fell approximately 2-3 feet, contacting the truck's bumper. The employee suffered rib fractures and a punctured lung.
An employee was performing duties as an expeditor. After opening the dock door, the employee scanned the barcode on the door of the truck and placed one foot on the truck and one foot on the dock. The truck drove out of the stall, causing the employee to fall 4 feet off the dock onto the concrete. The employee sustained fractures to the right side of the pelvis, elbow, and a left ring fingertip as well as injuries to the right wrist and bruising to the back and stomach.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 311611)
An employee was scraping dried glue from the top lid of a hot glue pot. His left hand slipped and came into contact with the hot glue. He then suffered burns to his hands and fingers as he tried to remove the glue. He was hospitalized.
An employee was in a scissor lift approximately 20 feet above the ground to place a plastic tarp on a catwalk in order to catch condensation. They positioned the lift opposite the work area and stepped out of the scissor lift onto an I-beam. The employee fell from the I-beam to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a skull fracture on the right side of their head and injuries to the chest and both eyes.
A maintenance employee was called to look at a pallet conveyor machine where a chain had fallen off a sprocket wheel. When the employee grabbed the loose chain, a light sensor caused the machine to restart. This created a pinch point between the chain and sprocket that caught the employee's left little finger. The finger was surgically amputated at the second knuckle.
The injured employee was standing by one of the stationary computers along the wall. There was a half-pallet located approximately 3 feet behind the employee that consisted of 12-pound boxes stacked six boxes high. A forklift was transporting a pallet that came in contact with the stationary pallet behind the injured employee, causing four boxes to fall and contact their legs. The injured employee was hospitalized with leg injuries.
An employee was using a box strapping machine to place straps on boxes when his right middle finger was caught in the machine, resulting in an open fracture to the distal phalanx.
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 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.