Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at VALLEY OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL, INC., 374 Montgomery Street, CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS 01013
on — Fractures, affecting the thigh(s).
Final narrative
An employee was standing on the sidewalk supervising children at play. A child approached the employee and attempted to hug her. The employee was surprised, lost her balance, and fell to the sidewalk, breaking both femurs. She was hospitalized and had surgery.
An employee was pulling on a bale of corrugated cardboard boxes that were on a conveyor. The straps on the bale failed and the employee fell to the floor. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery for a fractured femur and/or hip.
On December 27, 2023, an employee was delivering mail to an apartment complex when their knee gave out and they fell to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a left tibia fracture.
An employee was walking to the inventory cage when her ankle gave out and she fell to the floor. The employee sustained a femur fracture and was hospitalized.
An employee was dislodging a pallet that was stuck when boxes of product fell onto them, causing them to fall to the ground. The employee suffered a fractured femur.
An employee was using a table saw to cut a 1-inch x 1-inch board down to 1/2-inch to make repairs to a closet in an apartment unit. While cutting/feeding the wood through the saw, the edge of his right middle finger caught on the saw blade, resulting in an amputation.
An employee was walking to their work vehicle in the parking lot when they slipped on ice and struck the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a back fracture and required surgery.
An employee fell while exiting a trailer. The employee landed on their left side on the pavement, suffering multiple broken ribs on the left side. The employee was hospitalized.
Two employees were setting up a mandrel in the spindle of a machine. The mandrel was side-shifted while an employee's hand was on the mast of a powered industrial truck. The employee suffered crushing injuries that resulted in amputations to the middle and ring fingertips.
An employee had been loading a double deck press. The employee saw a mold had been sent in with the C-hook still attached on the belly bar. As he went to remove the hook from the mold, his right thumb got caught on the C-hook. The employee's thumb was partially 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 delivering home heating fuel when bees came from the ground and stung the employee's face, neck, torso, and hands. The employee proceeded to shut off the oil flow before losing consciousness. They were hospitalized due to an anaphylactic reaction.