Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Westrock, 1910 FM 105 S., EVADALE, TEXAS 77615
on — Bruises, contusions, affecting the multiple body parts, n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was troubleshooting an atomic absorption analyzer when it exploded. The analyzer uses acetylene and nitrous oxide. The employee was admitted to the hospital with contusions to the left arm, legs and lower left abdomen.
HospitalizedMultiple body parts, n.e.c.Product testing, inspecting, and diagnostic machinery, n.e.c.
An employee was clearing the clean-up chain with a stick when he fell backward into the cut-off saw area. His arm struck against the saw, resulting in severe lacerations. The machine was unguarded at the time.
An employee was pumping overflowing process water when they stepped in an open hole containing hot process water, resulting in second-degree burns to their ankle.
An employee was transporting a trash hopper to a dumpster using a forklift. While emptying the trash hopper into the dumpster, the employee's right hand was on the dumpster latch and his left hand was on the base of the hopper. When the employee released the latch, the hopper tilted forward while the rear of the hopper lifted upward, compressing the employee's left little finger between the hopper and the dumpster. The employee suffered a partial traumatic transphalangeal amputation.
An employee was clearing a jam in a piece of equipment used to process paperboard scraps when their right hand contacted blades in the equipment, resulting in the amputation of two fingers.
An employee was operating a gluer machine. The employee's left hand was caught in the feed section of the machine, resulting in the amputation of the hand.
An employee was sitting in the cab of the truck while waste oxidizer was being offloaded. The waste reacted with the receiving tank and an explosion occurred in the tank. Fire traveled through the hose to the tanker truck, causing it to explode. The employee jumped from the burning truck and was hospitalized with burns to his face, chest, and arms.
An employee was installing piping and valves for fire protection systems in the vicinity of an electrical meter outside of a new warehouse. The meter exploded, causing burns to the employee's face and arms.
An employee was pouring molten aluminum into a drain pot. The aluminum touched moisture at the bottom of the drain pot and an explosion occurred. The employee sustained burns to their face, hands, and legs.
An employee was operating an oxygen-deficient oven that required manual ignition to make charcoal from wood. As the oven was opened, oxygen was introduced to the environment, resulting in an explosion. The employee sustained head trauma as well as fractures to the arms and legs.
An employee was setting up the electrical parts for a fireworks display. They were inserting an e-match when it generated friction with something else. A 3-inch firework shell ignited, injuring the employee's hand and head.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 322130)
An employee worked in the paper machine area for a shift, cutting corners off paper rolls around the roll machine. Afterwards, the employee sustained cramping and dehydration due to heat. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was adjusting a trim sheet leading to a sheeter machine. Their glove became caught in the machine and the shearer closed on the employee's right hand, crushing it and breaking the hand and wrist.
An employee was troubleshooting a process upset. A nearby refiner had a pressure spike, causing the housing to separate slightly, which allowed the loss of primary containment. The employee was sprayed by hot water, resulting second- and third-degree burns on his torso and left arm.
On July 22, 2024, at 10:30 AM, an employee was responding to a pulp mill manufacturing process shutdown. Pulp stock overflowed through an engineered overflow pipe resulting in a buildup of stock in a bermed area. The stock was 140 to 150 degrees. The employee went to the bermed area to close an air-actuated process valve. While closing the valve, pulp stock entered the top of his boots and caused second-degree burns to both of his lower legs down to his feet. The employee was hospitalized.
After cutting a slab of beef short ribs, an employee turned to grab the pieces he had cut and his right hand contacted the saw blade. The employee sustained an amputation to his right index finger.
An employee was unloading a carpet pad from a truck when they fell from the truck dock to the concrete below, resulting in five fractured ribs and an injury to their left lung.
An employee was walking up a walkway to enter a building through the back entrance when she tripped over the lip of the cement ramp. The employee fell and sustained a fractured right hip.