Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Red River Commodities Inc, 1320 E College Dr. , COLBY, KANSAS 67701
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
On January 29, 2018, an employee was performing maintenance on equipment when he slipped and fell. His left hand then then went between a belt and pulley on an adjacent machine, amputating his left middle fingertip. The belt and pulley was unguarded at the time.
An employee was walking to their truck to look for a lid. When they stepped between the truck and a dock plate, they sustained a knee injury that required surgery.
An employee was standing on plant bed timbers, using a powered hand trimmer to trim the shrubs in the plant bed. The timber gave way, breaking into several pieces. The employee lost balance and fell with the trimmer in his hand. He suffered a severe laceration to the right wrist and hand.
An employee was loading phosphoric acid onto a rail car and preparing to secure the rail car for transport. While repositioning the loadout spout to secure it back to the drip pan holster on the dock, the spout contacted the handrail of the rail car, causing the employee to lose balance. The employee stepped back and their right foot entered the opening for the rail car, causing him to twist/pivot on his left leg. The employee's lower left leg was fractured.
On November 14, 2023, an employee was receiving a delivery from a truck when some of the merchandise fell from the truck s lift and struck him. He then fell to the ground and his head struck the sidewalk, resulting in an injury that required hospitalization.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 115114)
An employee was directing a truck driver to a dump site when the truck's peanut trailer slipped off the kingpin. As the trailer fell, a ladder attached to it lacerated the employee's ear. The employee was hospitalized.
On May 3, 2025, at approximately 8:45 AM, an employee was cleaning the surface of a sonic bag sealer with an emery cloth when the sealer activated and closed on their fingers. The employee sustained burns to three fingers on their right hand. The machine was not locked out at the time.
An employee was riding a manlift (elevator) up to the fourth floor of a building. His right leg was struck and pinched by the third-floor structure as he ascended. The leg was broken.
An employee had been using an air gun to blow cotton off the moving parts inside of the length/strength cabinet. The employee went to grab some cotton that was still stuck on the length/strength breaker bracket (above the rear jaw cylinder) when their left fourth finger became pinched. The employee sustained an amputation through the distal phalanx.
An employee was working to remove a product blockage from a piece of equipment. The employee was struck by a metal bar near the deck of the pin mixer equipment and sustained blunt force trauma to the torso.
An employee was moving a rack onto a lower conveyor in the south heat treat area when their finger got caught between the part tray and the rollers, resulting in a fingertip fracture and amputation.
An employee was climbing a ladder to get on top of the breakroom. The ladder slipped, causing him to fall to the ground. The employee sustained fractures to his upper back, left foot, and ankle.
Two employees were removing a circuit breaker. The injured employee was using wrenches in the removal process. One of the wrenches contacted an adjacent door, resulting in an arc flash. The employee suffered burns to their neck, face, and ear, as well as momentary vision loss due to the flash.
An employee bent over to pick up a rubber mat from the ground. When he grabbed the corner of the mat, a rattlesnake hidden under it bit his left middle finger near the first knuckle. He was hospitalized.