Yuma Ethanol LLC

Employees were unplugging a slurry strainer that was plugged with corn mash. They shut the slurry strainer down and took it offline to be cleaned and unplugged. When the machine was cleaned and put back online, a drain valve was not closed. Pressure forced the hose/pipes into the air, spraying hot liquid onto the employees. One of the employees suffered second degree burns on his neck, ears, and back, requiring hospitalization. The second employee suffered first degree burns on his cheek and ears, but was not hospitalized.

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 straining hot water from a pot of rice when the water splashed onto them, resulting in burns to their chest, arms, shoulder, and back.

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.

An employee was backing up a forklift when the frame of the forklift clipped the wall. The employee's right little finger was pinched between the wall and the forklift, resulting in amputation.

An employee was removing contaminants from a low point drain on an ammonia line through a hose and into a container of water. A release of pressure from the end of the hose exposed the employee to anhydrous ammonia, resulting in chemical burns to his face, arm, and chest as well as ammonia inhalation. He was hospitalized.

An employee was priming a cook pump and sustained burns from contact with hot water (140-200 degrees F).

At about 7:00 a.m. on February 11, 2025, an employee was troubleshooting a system that had failed to start. Suspecting a tripped breaker and intending to test the system's motor leads, he hooked up an insulation resistance tester. The side of the breaker the tester was hooked up to was still energized, resulting in an arc flash. The employee was hospitalized with second-degree burns to his face and right arm.

An employee was preparing hopper rail cars for loading. The employee fell from the platform used to access the rail car lids, landing in an empty hopper and suffering broken ribs.

An employee was delivering materials. He was doing his pre-delivery inspection on the roof of the jobsite (a warehouse) when he fell through a plexiglass skylight. He landed on his feet on the concrete floor 14 feet below. The employee sustained fractures to his spine, left ulnar/radius, and right heel. The employee required surgery.

An employee was cutting cabinet trim using a table saw when four fingers on his left hand were severed, resulting in hospitalization and amputation.

An employee was removing packaging from a roll of printing substrate. The blade of their utility knife got stuck. The employee used both hands to free the knife and the blade partially amputated their left little fingertip.

A concrete batch plant operator was assisting with clearing spoil piles using a skid steer. The skid steer backed into a stationary screen plant. The employee's left little finger was crushed between the controls of the skid steer and the screen plant, resulting in a fracture and laceration. The employee's finger was surgically amputated.

An employee was standing on an extension ladder, using a torquing tool to remove bolts that secured blades to a rotor. When the torquing tool activated, its reaction arm came around and pinched the employee's right middle finger against a lifting eye. His fingertip was amputated.