Behlen Manufacturing Company

An employee was welding on a structural support beam. An adjacent beam was being prepped for work and was situated upright against two floor-mounted saw horses. The adjacent beam fell and struck the employee, resulting in five broken vertebrae, including the L1 and L2 vertebrae; broken ribs; a brain contusion; and a laceration to the back of head.

An employee was operating a forklift to transport a die. The transport shackle shifted, pinching the employee's finger between the shackle and the edge of the die. They sustained a left index finger amputation at the first joint.

An employee was loading angle iron onto a trough which was attached to an overhead crane. The trough became disconnected from the overhead crane and it fell along with the angle iron, striking the employee. She sustained fractures to the tibia, six ribs, and multiple vertebrae.

An employee was operating a brake press to bend a long narrow part that required multiple bends. During the last bend, the bottom of the part popped out and he attempted to grab the part to keep it from falling. His finger was pinched between the part and an exterior holding arm, resulting in an amputation of the end of his finger.

An employee was helping another employee operate a folding brake. She was placing sheet metal in the machine when the equipment came down on her left thumb, amputating the tip.

On December 19, 2023, an employee was setting up a copper wire drawing machine when his left ring finger was pinched between a copper wire and a machine part. The employee's finger was partially amputated.

An employee was examining a machine when a part moved up and amputated a fingertip on their left hand.

An employee was checking the gusset seal on a machine. He moved to the next cross sealer and the machine activated, causing an amputation to a left-hand finger. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee was evaluating a coiling machine to verify that the blade was present inside it. The machine's weld function was activated, and the machine crushed the employee's fingers, resulting in the amputation of the left middle and ring fingers.

An employee's right hand was caught in a wire drawing machine, resulting in amputation.

An employee was cutting a piece of metal rod with a metal cutting machine. His right middle finger became caught between the rod and the machine's table. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated.

Two maintenance employees were dismantling a machine part (steel cylindrical rollers) on the ground. After unbolting a portion, part of the assembly fell approximately 6 inches onto one employee's left little finger. The employee was hospitalized and about 3/4" of their little finger above the top joint was surgically amputated.

An employee was moving and handling cardboard boxes when he sustained a laceration to his left ring finger from a box. The laceration became infected and required hospitalization and surgery.

An employee was positioning a piece of metal trim for a test bend in a single-fold bend machine. Their right middle fingertip was pinched by a clamp on the machine, resulting in a partial amputation.

An employee was operating a double folding machine and positioning a piece of metal trim in the folding clamps for a test bend. The machine activated and the crank (lower control arm that bends the trim) came up and cut through the employee s glove, amputating their right middle fingertip.

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 rappelling down a tree. When he was most of the way down, he fell on the ground and suffered a broken pelvis.

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.