Entangled in other object or equipment · Avulsions, enucleations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at GATES RUBBER COMPANY, 1650 ROWE PARKWAY, POPLAR BLUFF, MISSOURI 63901
on — Avulsions, enucleations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), unspecified.
Final narrative
An employee was cradling a 20-pound spool of synthetic yarn that had become unraveled. The employee was attempting to find the end of the ball of yarn and had been making loops with their left hand. The employee dropped the spool and it fell to the ground. As a result one of the loops of yarn clinched tight on the end of the employee's left little finger pad and sliced/tore the skin away.
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 326220)
An employee was preparing to cut rubber stock on a pneumatic cutting machine when their middle and ring fingertips were amputated by the cutting blade.
At about 12:25 a.m. on September 3, 2025, an employee was troubleshooting a malfunction involving a slitter whose arbor was not rotating as expected. The employee was observing the slitter's operations when the arbor completed its cycle and the employee's right index finger was drawn into the slitter's 4-inch, non-rotating cutting blade. The fingertip was amputated.
An employee was operating a rolling rope machine. Tooling fell out of the machine and landed on the employee's foot, breaking bones. The machine was not guarded at the time.
An employee was operating a machine when hot air and water was released. The employee sustained burns to the neck, back, buttocks and leg on the right side.
An employee was readjusting a safety hook to remove hardware from gang forms when his feet slipped. He fell to the ground, resulting in a broken left arm and wrist.
An employee was on a step ladder in a store aisle, making room on shelving for merchandise. She fell from the step ladder to the floor, suffering two fractures in her left leg. She was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was closing the side cargo door to a company van. The tip of his finger got caught between the door and the door jamb, resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee lost his footing while climbing an inclined ladder. He stumbled down one step and was able to stabilize himself by holding the railing and twisting his body, but he suffered an internal abdominal injury and was hospitalized.