Contact with hot objects or substances · Third or fourth degree heat (thermal) burns
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at West Fraser, Inc., 1400 Main Street, LEOLA, ARKANSAS 72084
on — Third or fourth degree heat (thermal) burns, affecting the multiple body parts, n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was operating a front-end loader to remove ash from the box of a power house generator that creates steam for wood drying kilns. The employee was dumping the hot ash into the bucket of another front-end loader when the hot ash blew back into the cab and contacted the employee's body. The employee suffered third degree burns to the right arm, second degree burns to the left arm and both legs, and minor burns to the face. The ashes had not been wet down or cooled at the time of the incident.
HospitalizedMultiple body parts, n.e.c.Scrap, waste, debris, n.e.c.
An employee was cleaning the photo eye sensors of a piece of equipment between the saw that cuts lumber into lengths and boards. The employee stepped on a metal grate that gave way and fell 8-10 feet. The employee was able to remove himself from the conveyor. His tibia was fractured just below the knee.
An employee was troubleshooting a planer machine. From a control station in the planer room, he raised the feed roller that was in the down position, to clear a board that was jammed in the machine. The employee went back to the control room and locked out the planer machine. He then reentered the planer room and removed the board that was jammed in the machine. After removing the board, a release of stored energy caused the side heads in the machine to rotate, catching the employee s hand in the process. The employee suffered an amputation of his right index finger and a partial amputation of the middle finger.
On March 28, 2025, an employee was directing a forklift that was loading a flatbed trailer. The reversing forklift struck the employee, knocked them to the ground, and ran over their left leg. The employee's leg was crushed.
An employee connected a steam line to a hose to clean equipment when the fitting broke loose. They were struck by steam in the left inner thigh, resulting in burns that required hospitalization.
An employee was making tea when she noticed tea grinds were collecting on the side and water was no longer dripping through the funnel. The employee was checking the funnel when boiling water and tea grinds spilled onto the left side of her body. The employee sustained burns to her neck, back, and arm.
An employee had turned off the ball valve on a waterpipe system and was removing the plug when the coupling system attached to the strainer came apart. Hot water sprayed on his arm and back, resulting in first- and second-degree burns that required surgery.
An employee was using a shovel to remove waste vermiculite from molten zinc. The metal had been placed in a bin and partially hardened. The employee broke through the partially hardened metal; still-molten metal flowed to the employee's steel-toed right boot and entered through the cloth boot tongue. The employee suffered a third-degree burn to the right foot and was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 321113)
An employee was repairing a photo eye on the infeed roll case when they dropped a tool. The employee went to grab the tool and his fingers contacted the chain and sprocket of the infeed roll case. His fingers were pulled into the pinch point and the fingertips were crushed, resulting in amputation of one fingertip.
An employee was troubleshooting dispersing equipment. A belt and pulley system was energized, and the moving belt caught the employee's right ring finger. He suffered a partial amputation at the first knuckle, below the nail.
An employee was cleaning the photo eye sensors of a piece of equipment between the saw that cuts lumber into lengths and boards. The employee stepped on a metal grate that gave way and fell 8-10 feet. The employee was able to remove himself from the conveyor. His tibia was fractured just below the knee.
While refilling a lubricant tank, an employee observed that a pump was not operating correctly. While troubleshooting the issue, the employee reached toward the back of the pump to check for proper airflow. Their left index finger contacted moving components in the pump's piston mechanism, resulting in partial amputation of the fingertip.
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.
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.