Struck by dislodged flying object, particle · Internal injuries to organs and blood vessels of the trunk
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Vail Rubber Works, Inc., 124 Salco Road, AXIS, ALABAMA 36505
on — Internal injuries to organs and blood vessels of the trunk, affecting the abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders.
Final narrative
An employee was pressing discs onto a roller using a hydraulic press when a steel plate in the press sheared its retaining bolts and the steel plate was expelled, striking the employee in the mid-section. The employee was hospitalized due to a slight tear to the liver, a torn groin muscle, and a laceration to the rear of the head requiring five staples.
HospitalizedAbdomen, except internal location of diseases or disordersMetal plates, metal panels
On May 10, 2017, an employee was removing pins and bolts from a roller when the roller opened up and moved, pinning the employee between the bench and the open roller. The employee suffered a smashed leg and shoulder.
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.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 326299)
An employee was guiding a conveyor belt through a slitter when their hand was caught between the rollers and the table. When the employee pulled their hand out, the glove was left behind and their right middle fingertip was amputated.
A maintenance employee was working to place a 120-pound metal screen on top of a machine before installation, with the help of another employee. The injured employee's right ring finger was pinched between the screen and the machine and the fingertip was partially amputated.
On September 26, 2025, an employee was performing maintenance on an excavator when a bale of rubber fell from an adjacent rack and struck him. The employee sustained multiple fractures to his pelvic area.
An employee was cleaning a mixer door. The employee's left hand came into contact with the mixer blade, which was still slowly rotating. The employee suffered amputations to the left index and middle fingertips.
A temporary employee was working to remove a detached piece of rubber EPDM product that was hanging on the outside of a feed chute. As the employee grabbed the elongated material, the material reengaged inside the machine above the feed chute and pulled back, pinching their left index fingertip. The employee's fingertip was amputated.
An employee was traveling down the maintenance aisle of a warehouse on a single-pallet front rider jack. The jack malfunctioned, causing the brakes to apply; the employee fell forward onto the concrete warehouse floor. The employee suffered an injury to the left leg and was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was operating a metal roller machine to roll a small piece of metal. The employee's right index finger became caught between the metal and the machine, and the fingertip was amputated.
An employee was directing a truck driver to a dump site when the truck's peanut trailer slipped off the kingpin. As the trailer fell, a ladder attached to it lacerated the employee's ear. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was unloading a forklift from a trailer to the ground. The employee was climbing down the ladder of the trailer when their foot slipped through one of the rungs, causing them to fall backward onto the forklift forks. The employee was hospitalized for fractured ribs.