RIVER VALLEY ANIMAL FOODS

An employee was entering a chicken meal silo to perform a 6-month cleanout when the silo sweep arm activated while the employee was inside. The employee's lifeline became tangled in the sweep arm, and the employee was pulled into the sweep arm and auger, suffering fractures and soft tissue injuries to the left scapula and humerus.

An employee was working in the basement when lithium batteries in his pocket caught fire, resulting in burns to his hip and the top of his leg.

An employee was moving a metal door, creating a spark. The employee's boots caught on fire due to residual flammable chemicals that were on his boots. The employee sustained burns to the ankle/metatarsals of both feet.

An employee was lubricating a forming machine when hot bottles fell off the machine. A bottle contacted the employee's left leg and ignited their flame retardant pants. The employee's left leg was burned from the thigh to just below the knee.

An employee was returning from their break when the rags in his back pocket contacted a nearby stove heater. The rags caught on fire and spread to the employee's clothing. He sustained third-degree burns to the left and right buttocks.

An employee was pouring iron powder into a blender. The powder ignited and burned the employee's left hand, as well as a finger on his right hand.

A temporary employee was working to unclog butter from a butter melter pump. His right index finger was caught in the machine, and the fingertip was amputated. The machine was energized at the time.

An employee working at the reject conveyor was placing a product guide bar on the conveyor. This metal guide bar is placed on the side of the conveyor belt to funnel the product, preventing it from falling off the sides. As he was getting the attachment positioned, his left ring finger was caught between the conveyor belt and the conveyor belt frame. The employee's finger was fractured and partially amputated.

An employee was using a pneumatic impact wrench to tighten bolts on a brake press anvil. The impact wrench hooked up on something, causing the tool to rotate. This spun his left hand with it. Their index finger was pinched between the side handle of the tool and an anvil bolt on the press, resulting in an open fracture. The employee required a medical amputation of the fingertip.

An employee was cleaning the area under a mobile elevated work platform. The platform lowered and struck the employee, resulting in a fractured right femur. The employee was hospitalized.

As an employee was opening an infeed valve. Hot tallow oil in the line above fell back down the pipe and came out of an open pressure relief valve, striking the employee on the thighs. The employee was hospitalized with second-degree burns to his thigh. Another employee sustained burns to their back but they were not hospitalized.

An employee was operating an ironworker (steel punching/shearing) machine. A piece of the tooling broke off and struck the employee's neck; a fragment was lodged in his neck. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.

On October 25, 2025, an employee was stringing up a new reel of tire tread on a machine. The employee pulled a 6-inch tail and proceeded to spool up the liner. As the machine was jogged to begin the liner wrapping process, the liner caught the employee's glove and pulled their right arm into the liner, causing a fracture to the arm.

An employee was doing a cable change on top of an electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane. They were positioned between the cable drum and the drive shaft. While rotating the cable drum, the employee reached for the new cable that was to be installed. The grease fitting on the drive shaft caught their fall harness and pulled them underneath the drive shaft. The employee was pinned between the drive shaft and two pieces of angle steel, resulting in a fracture to their left hip.

An employee was helping two other employees to push a pallet of tile on a loading dock. He suffered a broken fibula and was hospitalized.

On October 5, 2025, an employee was pulling a pressure washer hose when it it disconnected from the cooker. The employee was struck by jets of high-pressure water, resulting in lacerations to their left thigh requiring surgery. The employee was hospitalized.