Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Wright Tree Service, Inc., 2003 Florence Place, STURGIS, SOUTH DAKOTA 57785
on — Fractures, affecting the lower leg(s).
Final narrative
An employee was traveling between work areas using a utility terrain vehicle (UTV). The UTV struck a log and rolled over. The employee sustained a fractured tibia and fibula.
On April 10, 2025, an employee was climbing a fixed ladder on a chip truck. He fell backward from the ladder, striking his head on the ground and suffering a brain bleed.
On October 3, 2024, an employee was using a chainsaw to trim trees. They were moving a limb when the chainsaw contacted their left forearm and lacerated it.
An employee was working as a spotter for a tree truck that was being parked near a tree. The employee was behind the truck when he was pinned between the truck and the tree. The employee sustained a lacerated liver.
An employee was ascending a tree to trim the top off with a chainsaw. At a height of 20 feet, he clipped into the equipment holding line. He then fell from the tree and landed on a chainsaw on the ground. The employee sustained a broken femur.
An employee was operating a sit-down type of material handling equipment (MHE). They were turning the MHE with the clamp attachment in the air when the MHE fell over onto its right side. The employee's right foot was caught under the battery cover of the MHE. The employee sustained a chemical burn from the battery and a fractured right ankle.
An employee was driving an unloaded forklift outside a building. During a left turn, the forklift drove off the paved area onto an unpaved surface, became unstable, and tipped over. The employee was pinned under the forklift and suffered two broken leg bones and a broken hip.
An employee was trimming tree branches from an aerial lift. As they were maneuvering the aerial bucket lift from inside, the truck drove over soft ground and tipped over. The bucket lift fell to the ground with the employee tied off inside, resulting in rib fractures.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 541320)
An employee was helping a coworker transport a tall palm tree with a mini skid steer. The employee was severely shocked by a high-voltage electrical wire above the ground.
An employee was sweeping the entrance of a building. Her right foot caught on the corner of a carpeted area, causing her to fall. She suffered a broken right hip and was hospitalized.
An employee was walking toward the custodial closet when they stepped on a corner of the corridor where there was some floor stripper on the floor. They slipped on the wet solution and struck their head on floor. The employee lost consciousness and was hospitalized.
An employee was moving a tensile strength test device with a dolly. The device fell from the dolly onto the employee's right leg, causing a compound fracture.
An employee was walking past a crossover conveyor when a ramp came down and hit them in the back. The employee sustained a broken back vertebra, as well as a concussion, and was hospitalized.
An employee was using a hook tool to pull a pallet onto the lift gate of a tractor trailer. The hook detached from the underside of the pallet, causing the employee to fall backward off the lift gate. The employee landed on the concrete parking lot about 5 feet below, suffering fractures to the skull and two thoracic vertebrae.
An employee was walking on a truss table when he lost his balance and fell approximately 3 feet to the floor. The employee sustained a dislocated and fractured left ankle.