Struck against moving part of machinery or equipment · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Nemak USA Inc., 2170 Old Sylacauga Hwy, SYLACAUGA, ALABAMA 35150
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
An employee was cutting a piece of metal with a horizontal band saw when his right hand went between the metal and a vise used to hold it in place, resulting in a right thumb tip amputation.
An employee in the melt department was getting ready to put a recirculation pump into the pump housing area. He first put the pump in a cabinet to warm it up to avoid thermal shock. It shifted and the cold refractory contacted the hot metal. Molten metal contacted the employee, resulting in third-degree burns between their knee(s) and ankle(s). The employee was wearing some personal protective equipment (PPE) at the time but this was breached by the molten metal.
An employee was troubleshooting an issue with a dust collector when his hand was pulled into the pulley of the power transmission belt, resulting in a partial amputation to his right ring finger.
An employee entered the protective cell and was removing the steel liners from the die. The employee stepped up to the die, placing his left hand on the die surface to steady himself. The die core slide moved forward and the employee's fingers were caught between the core slide and the core guide plate, resulting in partial amputations to the left middle and ring fingers.
An employee was preparing a machine for setup and leaned forward to clean off an area. As he was backing out he misstepped over a hose, lost balance, and fell backward into the gravity slide table striking the left side of his back and head. The employee sustained a back contusion and a laceration (approximately 1 inch) to the head.
An employee was operating a strip saw. As the employee shut off the saw, their right index and middle fingertips were amputated by the blade before it came to a complete stop.
An employee was using a table saw to cut a piece of wood for wall framing. The wood jumped, causing the employee's hand to move toward the saw, amputating their left index finger and causing a laceration on their hand.
An employee was operating a trim saw. While trying to free a jammed board she had just cut, she came into contact with the running saw blade, which amputated her right thumb.
An employee opened a roll-off container while standing behind the box. Scrap metal fell out of the door and landed on their left leg, causing a fracture just above the ankle.
An employee was removing scrap metal pieces from work he was conducting and placing the scraps behind him. He kicked the scrap metal out of the way, and in doing so, cut his right leg just below the calf muscle and above the top of his boot. The employee required surgery for a torn Achilles tendon.
On March 28, 2024, at about 2:30 AM, two employees were using a manual metal crimping tool to secure steel straps around a pallet of finished product. The injured employee's right little finger became pinched in the tool, resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee was traveling down the maintenance aisle of a warehouse on a single-pallet front rider jack. The jack malfunctioned, causing the brakes to apply; the employee fell forward onto the concrete warehouse floor. The employee suffered an injury to the left leg and was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was operating a metal roller machine to roll a small piece of metal. The employee's right index finger became caught between the metal and the machine, and the fingertip was amputated.
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.
An employee was unloading a forklift from a trailer to the ground. The employee was climbing down the ladder of the trailer when their foot slipped through one of the rungs, causing them to fall backward onto the forklift forks. The employee was hospitalized for fractured ribs.