Entangled in other object or equipment · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at National Water Main Cleaning Company, Perry Avenue, MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND 02842
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
Employees were using a cable grip device to remove the end cap of a water main. An employee's left hand became entangled in the device's metal cable; the tip of his ring finger was amputated and his middle finger was broken.
AmputationFingertip(s)Wire, cables-nonelectrical
More severe injuries at National Water Main Cleaning Company
An employee was using a hydraulic submersible pump to clean a sewer main. The pump became clogged with rags. The employee suffered partial amputations to two fingers while clearing the clog. The pump was still operating at the time.
On November 9, 2023, an employee was removing plywood from the west face of a basement level buck hoist to prepare to dismantle one of the cabs. When the employee pulled on the plywood, it fell and pulled a rope that partially amputated the employee's thumb.
An employee was holding a rigging line and assisting in the removal of an old light pole from its base. When the load was lifted by a forklift, it shifted. The tag line lifted the employee off the ground and propelled him through the air. The employee landed on the ground and sustained back fractures.
An employee was performing maintenance on a bucket truck when his right hand became caught in some rope, causing amputations to three fingers down to the first knuckle.
An employee was conducting a fall rescue demonstration. A 165-pound demonstration dummy was released from a height, putting tension on the lanyard. The employee's left hand, little finger, and thumb were caught in the wire rope lanyard, resulting in a medical amputation of the left little finger as well as lacerations to the left thumb.
An employee was using a crank and cable to lower a light tower due to windy conditions. The light shaft became hung up and released the tension in the cable, which wrapped around the employee's left hand, resulting in amputations of three fingers.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 237110)
An employee was moving a tensile strength test device with a dolly. The device fell from the dolly onto the employee's right leg, causing a compound fracture.
On October 7, 2025, employees were conducting trenching operations for the installation of a new sewer line system. The excavator's bucket was detached and put inside the trench as it was being exchanged for a different-sized bucket. An employee entered the trench with a shovel to move some dirt located at the front end of the pipe. The excavator bucket shifted and slid, striking the employee s right foot and trapping it against the ground. The employee sustained a fractured right tibia.
Employees were working to dislodge a large truck that was stuck in a rut using tow straps and a front-end loader with the bucket removed. An employee connected the straps to the loader and truck and another employee slowly engaged the loader to close the coupler. The injured employee's arm became caught in a pinch point. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured arm.
An employee was lifting a piece of 30-inch line stopping equipment using a jack screw. A lifting eye weld snapped and the load dropped. The end of the jack screw then landed on the employee's heel and crushed it. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was talking to a child on the playground, when the child grabbed her hand to lead her away. The employee stepped, lost her balance, and fell over. The employee was hospitalized with a fracture of her lower left leg and required surgery.
An employee was walking through a parking garage. She tripped over a curb and fell forward onto her right knee, then her left knee, both hands, and her face. She suffered an injury to the left knee that required surgery, as well as scrapes on the chin and both palms and soreness in the left wrist.
An employee was using a hose to clear storm drains after a sewer backup. The employee fell backward and his head struck the curb, resulting in an Injury on the right side of his head, generalized bruising, and pain in his left ankle, right hip, left shoulder, and neck. The employee was hospitalized.