Struck by dislodged flying object, particle · Fractures
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Michels Corporation, Coujnty Rd 4 & Friendship Lane, METZ, WEST VIRGINIA 26585
on — Fractures, affecting the jaw, chin.
Final narrative
Employees were "daylighting" (exposing) a 2-inch pipeline in the ground to remove the pipeline. Thirty feet of pipe was already exposed. An excavator was digging down 6 inches to expose the pipeline. When the bucket of dirt was rotated away from the pipeline, the tooth of the bucket struck the pipe causing the far end of the pipe to shift and strike an employee at the far end of the pipeline (30 feet) in the neck and jaw. The employee was hospitalized for a fractured jaw.
An employee was manually unloading sections of counterweight pipe. Each pipe had swiveling D-rings mounted on the ends to be used for lifting the pipes with slings. The employee's finger got caught between a D-ring and a pipe resulting in a partial finger amputation.
An employee was installing/winding a rope on a four-drum, motorized rope puller. The employee's right little finger was caught between the rope and the drum, and 1/2 inch was amputated from the tip of the finger.
An employee was attempting to remove a rock that had jammed a mechanical gate on a batch plant hopper and conveyor. When the rock became free, the gate snapped shut, pinching the employee's hand and fingers between the gate and the stop point of the gate. Four fingers were amputated at the second joint of the knuckles.
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 237120)
An employee was acting as a spotter for a forklift operator. While its forks were being raised, the forklift came into contact with a power line. The employee was touching the forklift's metal frame at the time and was shocked on the left palm. The employee suffered burns to both the left palm and the sole of the left foot.
An employee was working as a fire watch. The employee was exposed to anhydrous ammonia and was not able to see while climbing down a ladder due to eye irritation. The employee fell and was hospitalized for a broken ankle.
An employee was standing on the ground awaiting the lowering of a pipe. After the pipe was lowered to the ground by a skid steer, it rolled and struck the employee's left leg. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured leg.
An employee was tightening a gas pipe with a wrench when the wrench slipped from his hand. The employee's arm then hit a metal cross-brace, resulting in a lacerated arm.
An employee was conducting routine maintenance on a mixer. New lid pins had been installed, and the employee was rotating by hand to ensure they had been installed correctly. The employee's left middle finger was caught between the lid and top of a pin. The momentum from the mixer continued, causing a crushing injury to the finger. The employee underwent a medical amputation from the top knuckle to the tip of the finger.
An employee was climbing down a 15-foot multipurpose ladder. The employee fell about 8 feet, landing on the concrete floor and the ladder itself. The employee suffered several injuries, all on the right side: broken ribs, a broken sternum, a broken temporal bone, broken shoulder, multiple fractures to the cheekbone, and a brain bleed.
An employee was rolling up the landing gear on his trailer when the handle began to unwind and struck his face, fracturing his jaw. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.