Struck by dislodged flying object, particle · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at QES Pressure Pumping LLC, Oil Well Frac Site, WELEETKA, OKLAHOMA 74880
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was holding a flashlight for another employee who was doing maintenance on a downhole sucker rod pump. The second employee was installing a plunger back into the rod pump, using a pry bar. The bar slipped and the plunger was propelled out of the pump toward the first employee. It caught his right hand and carried it downward, pinching the third finger against the fender of the pump. He suffered an avulsion and partial amputation of the finger.
AmputationFinger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c.Machine and appliance parts, n.e.c.
An employee had just replaced a rubber O-ring on a manifold and was trying to put the bull plug back on the missile when it slipped off and took the employee's hand down, striking it against the flat metal plate below. As a result, the employee suffered a partial fingertip amputation.
An employee was attaching a cable to a plug container to move it to the main rig floor. The employee had attached a hook to the plug container and was turning to continue pulling it when the employee stepped backwards into a pipe nest, falling approximately 2 feet and landing on a drill collar or pipe. The employee suffered a contusion and small crack to the right femur, requiring hospitalization.
A cement crew had finished a surface cement job and was preparing to rig down the cement head and equipment. An employee was preparing to remove the cementing head and manifold from the casing. The drilling rig crew loosened the chain boomer and lifted the casing to remove the slips. When the rig operator lifted the casing, the hook on the chain boomer broke, striking the employee in the hard hat and knocking him to the rig floor. He hit his head on the floor, losing consciousness and suffering a head laceration.
An employee was tossing a damaged toilet into a compactor. The toilet bounced off the compactor and lacerated the employee's right wrist, cutting an artery and tendon.
An employee was operating a hydraulic jack to bend a frame when the jack came loose and struck the employee. They were hospitalized for a spleen injury.
A truck had been towed into the shop with a flat tire and a blown airbag. An employee checked the tire for damage and was airing the tire. The employee was installing the valve core when the bead slipped off the rim. Air escaped, and the aluminum wheel struck the employee's head and face. The employee became unresponsive and was bleeding.
On December 14, 2023, at 8:40 p.m., three employees were inspecting milling machines for startup. A few of the sleeves on the mill drum needed to be changed out. The injured employee was trying to input a sleeve on the mill drum using a hammer. The hammer hit the edge of the drum, which caused a metal piece to splinter off and strike the employee's cheek just below the left eye. The metal splinter embedded in the back of their eye socket, resulting in pain, swelling, and bleeding that required hospitalization.
An employee was pushing a line of carts into a vestibule when the door cable snapped and struck his right ankle. The employee suffered a fracture that required surgery and hospitalization.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 213112)
An employee had been cleaning the work area. While lifting a saw, the employee's index finger was lacerated by the saw blade. A tendon was cut and required surgery.
An employee was delivering home heating fuel when bees came from the ground and stung the employee's face, neck, torso, and hands. The employee proceeded to shut off the oil flow before losing consciousness. They were hospitalized due to an anaphylactic reaction.
An employee was using a torch to loosen a bolt on a water trailer. Natural gas was present in the water and it ignited, causing a fire. The employee sustained third-degree burns to their upper leg.
An employee had been conducting crane operations. The employee went to stop a piece of oil and gas equipment for tubular running from falling over to the ground. Their right hand was caught between a rolling ladder and the equipment, resulting in fractures to the index and middle fingers. They were hospitalized and the middle finger required surgery.
An employee was working to install a drive belt on a water pump. He was holding the belt on both sides of the pulley, working to route it over the top. As he pulled down with his right hand, the pulley rotated and the belt slid over it, pulling his left little finger between the pulley and the belt. He suffered an amputation to the fingertip as well as a fracture to the ring finger.
An employee was helping to move a 1,300-pound coil on a cart. The steel caster hit a crack in the concrete, the weld holding the caster onto the cart broke, and the coil and cart tipped over onto the employee. He was hospitalized with a laceration on his forehead and a pelvic fracture on his right side.
An employee was working in the food service warehouse when he experienced chest pain, difficulty breathing, and lost consciousness. The employee sustained carbon monoxide poisoning.
An employee was cutting a piece of metal rod with a metal cutting machine. His right middle finger became caught between the rod and the machine's table. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated.
An employee was working at her desk. She went to stand up and fell to the floor beside the desk. The employee sustained a hip displacement and required surgery.
An employee was processing wood boards at a chop saw when the saw malfunctioned and the blade cut her left hand and fingers. She was hospitalized and her little finger was surgically amputated.