Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Ryder System Inc., 3315 Cavanaugh Rd, FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS 72908
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
Two employees were moving a 55-gallon drum containing windshield wiper fluid. One of the employees had to re-position the barrel from the vertical to the horizontal position using a rocking stand and strap. As the employee was positioning the barrel, it slipped. The employee's right pinky finger was caught between the drum and stand, resulting in a finger amputation.
An employee was on the deck of a trailer helping a customer unload tubes. The employee was working to place a cargo strap on the remaining tubes using a winch bar when it slipped off the tubing, causing him to lose his balance and fall headfirst onto the asphalt lot below. The employee suffered a contusion on his forehead, resulting in hospitalization.
An employee was driving a stand-up forklift and came in contact with another forklift. The employee's foot was caught and fractured between the forklifts, requiring surgery.
A temporary employee was operating a powered industrial truck and struck a rack. The employee's right foot was pinned between the powered industrial truck and the rack, breaking and lacerating the right ankle/foot.
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 532120)
An employee was working on disassembling and moving a trailer house from a gas well pad. The employee was on the roof of the structure installing flashing. The employee fell to the ground below, sustaining a skull fracture and brain bleed. The employee was hospitalized.
The injured employee had been working on the computer at the front desk in the showroom. An argument occurred with another employee and additional people got involved. Gunshots were fired. The employee was shot in the hip and was hospitalized.
An employee was preparing to remove leaf spring bushings on the front drive axle of a tandem axle tractor. After raising the axle with a hydraulic jack, he placed two jack stands under the rear frame rails of the tractor and placed additional jack stands under the front drive axle. He then repositioned himself at the rear of the tractor where he reached for the release valve of the jack to begin lowering the axle (and frame) onto the jack stands. He was in a kneeling position while using his right hand to operate the release valve. His left hand was caught between the lowering frame rail and a jack stand. His left ring and middle fingertips were crushed, resulting in amputations.
An employee was operating an ironworker (steel punching/shearing) machine. A piece of the tooling broke off and struck the employee's neck; a fragment was lodged in his neck. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
On October 25, 2025, an employee was stringing up a new reel of tire tread on a machine. The employee pulled a 6-inch tail and proceeded to spool up the liner. As the machine was jogged to begin the liner wrapping process, the liner caught the employee's glove and pulled their right arm into the liner, causing a fracture to the arm.
An employee was doing a cable change on top of an electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane. They were positioned between the cable drum and the drive shaft. While rotating the cable drum, the employee reached for the new cable that was to be installed. The grease fitting on the drive shaft caught their fall harness and pulled them underneath the drive shaft. The employee was pinned between the drive shaft and two pieces of angle steel, resulting in a fracture to their left hip.
On October 5, 2025, an employee was pulling a pressure washer hose when it it disconnected from the cooker. The employee was struck by jets of high-pressure water, resulting in lacerations to their left thigh requiring surgery. The employee was hospitalized.