Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at ODDEE SMITH CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED, Access Rd., BROOKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI 39601
on — Fractures, affecting the lumbar region.
Final narrative
An employee was operating a bulldozer to clear debris when the bulldozer fell into an 8-foot pit. He sustained two fractured vertebrae in the lower back.
On November 17, 2023, an employee was unloading a trailer using a forklift when the truck drove away, causing the employee and the forklift to drop to the ground. The employee suffered back injuries that required hospitalization.
An employee was driving a golf cart when its left leaf spring cracked, causing the cart to abruptly turn left into a nearby ditch. The employee suffered three fractures in his right leg below the knee, as well as severe lacerations on his head and forehead.
An employee was operating a forklift to unload a truck when the truck pulled away. The forklift and the employee fell approximately 3.5 feet. The employee sustained fractures to the arm and neck as well as a head contusion.
An employee was moving a scissor lift onto a loading dock ramp when the lift fell over the side of the ramp with the employee in it. They sustained rib fractures.
An employee was operating a forklift and unloading a trailer when the trailer pulled away from the dock. The forklift rolled backward and fell out of the trailer. The employee sustained head trauma and a back injury.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 237310)
An employee was operating a battery-powered broom to clean demolition debris off the top of the outermost bridge girder. The girder was approximately 11 feet above the demolition scaffold below. The employee fell approximately 8 feet to wind bracing below. The employee was hospitalized with a pelvis/tailbone fracture. Fall protection was in place at the time.
An employee was cleaning out an inlet pipe in a stormwater structure. The employee stepped back, fell into the pipe, and landed on concrete 13 feet below, at the bottom of the structure. He suffered a broken back.
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 operating a roller and paving a small pathway next to a pavilion. The ground was on a slight pitch, causing him to reach up toward the roll cage to stabilize himself. His right fifth finger was pinched between the roll cage and the rafter of the pavilion. The employee sustained a partial degloving injury with partial traumatic amputation.
An employee was working with paving equipment and heard a noise on the opposite side of the machine he was working on. When the machine stopped, the employee went to the opposite side and crouched down to investigate the noise. A mini track loader backed up and drove over the employee's leg. The employee sustained fractures to their lower leg, ankle, and foot.
An employee was checking a pole-type transformer tank for leaks. A hydraulic clamping device was lowered onto his right thumb and crushed it against the sharp edge of the bottom of the tank. He suffered a partial transphalangeal amputation to the thumb.
The injured employee was standing behind a table. She jumped out to scare another employee, but tripped and fell on the tile floor, injuring her right ankle/foot. She was hospitalized with a dislocated ankle that required surgery.
An employee was going into a trailer to mark product for shipment and the trailer pulled away from the dock. The employee fell out of the trailer, contacted the dock plate, and then fell to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a punctured lung, fractured ribs, and contusions.
An employee was hooking up bundled tie-downs with a chain. While he was holding a hook, the other hook was unlocked. This caused the employee's hook to slide down and pinch his right index finger between the chain and the shackle. He suffered an amputation to the fingertip (without bone loss), as well as an open fracture.
An employee was operating a gas tugger to lift metal sheeting. His left hand was pulled into the pulley, which crushed his left thumb, resulting in avulsions and other tissue damage. He was hospitalized and required surgery.