Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source · Third or fourth degree heat (thermal) burns
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Taylor Machine Works, Inc., 3690 N. Church Ave., LOUISVILLE, MISSISSIPPI 39339
on — Third or fourth degree heat (thermal) burns, affecting the multiple upper extremities locations, n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was attempting to warm himself near a commercial floor heater. As he walked away from the heater, he felt heat close to his neck and realized his clothes were on fire. He rolled to extinguish the flame, but his left and right shoulders received second and third degree burns and both hands suffered first degree burns.
An employee was operating a forklift outside the facility to move a mast weighing approximately 3700 lbs. As the mast was lifted to maximum height to avoid another parked forklift, it shifted to the left and the forklift overturned. The employee suffered a broken collarbone and broken ribs.
An employee was welding metal parts. The employee turned to the left and their work uniform came in contact with the location on the part that had just been welded. The employee's uniform ignited, causing burns to their shoulder and back.
An employee was welding steel dump ramp slides. He leaned over and a previous weld caught his hoodie on fire. The employee sustained burns on his left side from the armpit to the waistline.
An employee was using a fiber wheel to cut a 55-gallon drum to make a trash can. As they were cutting, sparks flew into the barrel and fire came out of a hole on the barrel, catching the employee's shirt on fire. The employee sustained burns to their abdomen and chest, requiring hospitalization.
An employee was removing tubing caps and cleaning tubing ends with solvent. Their flame-resistant pants became soaked with the cleaning solvent and were ignited by a propane torch used for removing tubing caps. The employee was hospitalized with burns to their legs.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 333924)
An employee was using a punch and hammer to remove a pin from the mast of a forklift. The mast was secured by an overhead crane. The mast shifted, and the employee's thumb was pinched between the mast and the punch, resulting in an amputation to the tip of his left thumb.
On September 22, 2025, an employee tripped and fell over a permanent fixture (angle iron) that serves as a parking block in the back of a facility. He suffered a fractured right hip and was hospitalized.
An employee was helping a customer with repairs on their trailer. While lowering the ramp door of the trailer, the customer dropped the door and it contacted the employee's left ring finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
An employee was working to lay a part in the vise of the band saw in preparation for cutting. The left vise closed, pinching his fingertips against the part. The employee's middle and ring fingertips were amputated and they sustained a laceration to the index finger requiring stitches.
An employee was checking a pole-type transformer tank for leaks. A hydraulic clamping device was lowered onto his right thumb and crushed it against the sharp edge of the bottom of the tank. He suffered a partial transphalangeal amputation to the thumb.
The injured employee was standing behind a table. She jumped out to scare another employee, but tripped and fell on the tile floor, injuring her right ankle/foot. She was hospitalized with a dislocated ankle that required surgery.
An employee was going into a trailer to mark product for shipment and the trailer pulled away from the dock. The employee fell out of the trailer, contacted the dock plate, and then fell to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a punctured lung, fractured ribs, and contusions.
An employee was hooking up bundled tie-downs with a chain. While he was holding a hook, the other hook was unlocked. This caused the employee's hook to slide down and pinch his right index finger between the chain and the shackle. He suffered an amputation to the fingertip (without bone loss), as well as an open fracture.
An employee was operating a gas tugger to lift metal sheeting. His left hand was pulled into the pulley, which crushed his left thumb, resulting in avulsions and other tissue damage. He was hospitalized and required surgery.