Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Smithfield Farmland Corp., 200 S 2nd Street, LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 68508
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
An employee was pushing a loaded cart into the oven and struck the oven. His left ring finger was pinched between the cart and a tray that had shifted after he had struck the oven causing a fingertip amputation.
An employee was moving a trolley to the index lifter. The index lifter actuated and crushed his right thumb, resulting in a laceration that required hospitalization and surgery.
At about 5:20 p.m. on September 26, 2020, an employee was on a table about 2 1/2 feet high, checking for a blockage in a metal chute that deposited sirloin onto an overhead conveyor. The employee fell, and their right little finger became lodged between the chute and a metal shield used to prevent product from falling off the conveyor. The fingertip was amputated at the last joint.
At about 2:50 p.m. on May 20, 2020, an employee was loading broth from a holding tank into a tanker trailer in an animal feed department. As the trailer became full, the employee began to remove the load hose from the trailer connection and was sprayed by the broth, suffering burns to the right arm, the torso, and the right side of the face. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was lubricating a shaft on a drum machine when the drum released onto the shaft, crushing and fracturing the employee's right index finger. The employee was hospitalized and had surgery.
An employee was clearing plastic from a packaging machine when his left index and middle fingers contacted the machine and were injured. He was hospitalized and had surgery.
An employee was operating a forklift and unloading a truck. After the truck was unloaded, the employee got off the forklift and proceeded to adjust the dock plate with a hook tool. The dock plate slipped and the employee went to adjust the plate with their hand when their left middle finger got caught. Their finger was amputated above the first joint.
An employee was rotating a carbide granulator blade when his finger was caught between the blade and a stationary part of the machine. The employee's right middle finger was partially amputated and they suffered an avulsion to the right ring fingertip.
An employee was using a CNC metal lathe machine in manual mode to check that the thread blocking tool made contact with the jaws. As the employee was manually spinning the spindle, his index fingertip was crushed between the spindle's jaws and the grooving insert, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
During a material handling operation, an employee's fingertip was caught under an air conditioning unit as the unit was lowered onto a cart. The employee's fingertip was amputated.
An employee was removing a bolt from a tractor hub when their right index finger was caught between the hub and the frame. The employee's fingertip was crushed and the employee was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 311612)
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 using a de-clipping machine to cut the metal clips off of sausage sticks. As the employee put a link of sausages into the machine, their hand slipped into the point of operation. A piston pinched the employee's left index finger, causing a partial amputation.
An employee was operating a small tabletop grinder in a food safety quality assurance lab. She was stuffing meat down the grinder's chute when the grinder caught her right hand. Its auger caused an amputation to her middle finger and a partial amputation to her index finger.
A maintenance employee was removing an inspection plate from an industrial cooker. Hot liquid spilled onto him and burned his hands, arms, and torso area. He was hospitalized.
An employee was stacking concrete blocks for a concrete bunker. As a block was swinging into place, the employee's left leg was pinched between two blocks, resulting in injuries to his left heel and lower leg.
An employee was climbing a ladder to inspect a vent in a restaurant dining area. The ladder slid out on the floor and the employee fell approximately 12 feet onto the ladder and the floor. He was hospitalized with a dislocated shoulder and a back injury.
An employee was filtering a fryer with a fryer filter machine. After going around the corner and then returning to the fryers, the employee stepped into the filter machine. The hot oil burned the employee's right ankle, and the employee was hospitalized.
An employee was cleaning out corn from a grain bin. The sweep auger in the bin was activated and caught his trouser leg. His leg was pulled into the auger, which injured his calf and caused leg fractures and lacerations.