Struck against object or equipment while moving it · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at VVF Kansas Services LLC, 1705 Kansas Ave., KANSAS CITY, KANSAS 66105
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
An employee was cleaning the flights of the rotary valve. He manually moved one flight to reach another flight to clean it. His hand slipped and slid past a sharp edge that cut through his cut-resistant glove and amputated his right index fingertip.
An employee had been grinding flashing for recycling. The employee was clearing a jam in the grinder and amputated his left index fingertip on the grinder's blade.
An employee was working on the product fill line when the product injection needle injected into the employee's hand, wrist, and arm, requiring hospitalization. The injection needle was guarded at the time.
Two employees were pushing a lawn mower into a utility truck. The injured employee placed their hand at the left side of the lawn mower deck when they were struck by a blade. The employee's left middle and ring finger were lacerated.
A temporary employee was working in the shipping and receiving area while loading a truck with sheet metal. The employee went to put down the product when the sheet metal lacerated their left middle finger. The employee was hospitalized and the tip of the finger was medically amputated.
An employee was carrying a pressure-treated 2x6 board while plating a foundation. The employee put the board on an anchor bolt when a 3-inch sliver of wood got caught in his hand, resulting in a punctured tendon.
An employee was in the packaging area in a warehouse transporting a 5-foot tilt and roll ladder back to its storage location. The employee was pushing the ladder while standing inside of it when it began to tilt over. As the employee reached to stop the ladder from tilting, his right hand contacted the metal serrated platform. The ladder continued to tilt and as he pulled his hand free, the employee's right middle fingertip was amputated.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 325611)
An employee was using an electric pallet jack to retrieve a chemical tote from a staging lane. He inserted the pallet jack under the tote and began to back up. After moving backward for approximately 15 feet, the employee tripped on a collapsible tote. As he fell, the pallet jack ran over his left foot. His ankle was lacerated and his foot was fractured.
An employee was installing network infrastructure at a client's distribution center. He was transporting a box measuring approximately 23 inches by 12 inches to a truck yard and walking along a narrow path adjacent to a trench that measured approximately 5.5 to 6 feet deep, 10 to 12 feet long, and 18 to 24 inches wide. Gravel on the path shifted beneath the employee's foot, causing him to lose balance and fall into the trench. He landed on his left side and struck a 4-inch PVC conduit pipe located at the bottom of the trench. The employee was hospitalized with fractures to his fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs on the left side.
An employee mixed sodium hydroxide pellets into a 55-gallon drum of hot water. A chemical reaction occurred and mixture splashed out of the drum, causing burns to the employee's face and neck. Personal protective equipment was not in place at the time.
An employee was cleaning a centrifugal pump. As he was cleaning a nozzle, his hand was caught in the inlet of the pump. He suffered a partial fingertip amputation.
A line leader was crouched down observing the chain and sprocket on a carpet filling machine for maintenance or repair when another employee got his right index finger caught between the chain and sprocket. Skin and the fingernail were removed and the employee required surgical amputation of the fingertip to the first knuckle.
An employee was working to remove a product blockage from a piece of equipment. The employee was struck by a metal bar near the deck of the pin mixer equipment and sustained blunt force trauma to the torso.
An employee was moving a rack onto a lower conveyor in the south heat treat area when their finger got caught between the part tray and the rollers, resulting in a fingertip fracture and amputation.
An employee was climbing a ladder to get on top of the breakroom. The ladder slipped, causing him to fall to the ground. The employee sustained fractures to his upper back, left foot, and ankle.
Two employees were removing a circuit breaker. The injured employee was using wrenches in the removal process. One of the wrenches contacted an adjacent door, resulting in an arc flash. The employee suffered burns to their neck, face, and ear, as well as momentary vision loss due to the flash.
An employee bent over to pick up a rubber mat from the ground. When he grabbed the corner of the mat, a rattlesnake hidden under it bit his left middle finger near the first knuckle. He was hospitalized.