Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at PYCO INDUSTRIES, 3305 E. 50TH, LUBBOCK, TEXAS 79401
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
An employee was part of a crew that was cleaning railcars. After cleaning the last car, they were getting ready to close the back door. One of the employees had his left hand in the doorway when another employee slammed the door closed on his left ring finger. His finger was smashed, and his fingertip had to eventually be surgically amputated.
Employees were unbinding a gondola cart door using a front-end loader. The gondola cart door sprung open and struck the employee in the upper back and neck area.
An employee was climbing down from a tractor trailer bed when they lost their footing and grabbed onto the roll-up door to stop the fall. The roll-up door then fell onto the employee's hand, resulting in a hand fracture that required surgery.
An employee was attempting to remove a tarp from a flatbed trailer when the trailer handle struck the employee in the chest, resulting in two broken ribs and a punctured lung.
An employee was near a backhoe while the operator was getting a broom. The broom handle struck the lever that actuates the swing of the backhoe bucket. The bucket then struck the injured employee, pinning him to the outrigger. The employee suffered crush injuries to the chest.
The injured employee was being trained on loading trucks in the load out bay. The injured employee and his supervisor climbed the stairs that run parallel to the truck and trailer, walked to the upper platform used for observation and sample taking, and saw that the lid of the grain trailer was closed. The employees began working to open the lid which appeared to be stuck due to cold weather. The injured employee pulled on one of the pivot arms that connect the lid to the main body of the trailer. As the lid began to open, the employee s right hand slipped down on the pivot arm and his index finger was caught between the pivot arm and the base of the pivot arm. The employee s right index finger was fractured and three nerves were severed. The employee was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 311223)
An employee was testing a limit switch on a bale bagger. The bagger was activated and moved forward about 9 inches, pinning the employee's right hand. He was hospitalized with a broken thumb and a laceration to the hand.
An employee was operating a cyclone machine and noticed cotton hanging under the machine. As the employee went to remove it, his right thumb contacted moving parts. The employee sustained an amputation of the right distal phalanx of the thumb.
Two employees were working on a 600-amp breaker. One employee suffered an electrical shock and burns to his face, head, upper torso, and his left hand due to an arc flash.
Employees were unbinding a gondola cart door using a front-end loader. The gondola cart door sprung open and struck the employee in the upper back and neck area.
While working in a oil mill, an employee stepped on a screw conveyor belt cover. The cover shifted, causing the employee to fall into the conveyor belt and resulting in a left ankle amputation.
After cutting a slab of beef short ribs, an employee turned to grab the pieces he had cut and his right hand contacted the saw blade. The employee sustained an amputation to his right index finger.
An employee was unloading a carpet pad from a truck when they fell from the truck dock to the concrete below, resulting in five fractured ribs and an injury to their left lung.
An employee was walking up a walkway to enter a building through the back entrance when she tripped over the lip of the cement ramp. The employee fell and sustained a fractured right hip.