Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON RESEARCH INSTITUTE, HERD Research Facility, FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA 32547
on — Amputations, affecting the hand(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
A chemist was handling energetic material in a laboratory when it exploded. The employee suffered a broken right arm and wrist, an injury to the right eye, and metal shrapnel embedded throughout the body. The employee's right hand was medically amputated.
An employee was sitting in the cab of the truck while waste oxidizer was being offloaded. The waste reacted with the receiving tank and an explosion occurred in the tank. Fire traveled through the hose to the tanker truck, causing it to explode. The employee jumped from the burning truck and was hospitalized with burns to his face, chest, and arms.
An employee was installing piping and valves for fire protection systems in the vicinity of an electrical meter outside of a new warehouse. The meter exploded, causing burns to the employee's face and arms.
An employee was pouring molten aluminum into a drain pot. The aluminum touched moisture at the bottom of the drain pot and an explosion occurred. The employee sustained burns to their face, hands, and legs.
An employee was operating an oxygen-deficient oven that required manual ignition to make charcoal from wood. As the oven was opened, oxygen was introduced to the environment, resulting in an explosion. The employee sustained head trauma as well as fractures to the arms and legs.
An employee was setting up the electrical parts for a fireworks display. They were inserting an e-match when it generated friction with something else. A 3-inch firework shell ignited, injuring the employee's hand and head.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 541712)
A temporary employee climbed onto a 28-inch high table to clean the top of the head assembly of the profile saw used to cut polyurethane foam. While cleaning, he tripped over the pneumatic hose and struck the blade. He then fell over to the other side of the head assembly onto the table. The employee sustained an amputated right foot and a laceration on his left leg. The machine was not locked out/tagged out and guarding was not used at the time.
An employee was sitting in an office chair when his foot caught on one of the rollers. He fell from the chair to the floor and suffered a broken hip. He was hospitalized.
An employee was disconnecting a resistor in an electrical test setup and contacted an energized power terminal. The employee suffered an electric shock and was hospitalized.
An employee was walking down the hallway when they tripped over a raised concrete slab on the floor and fell. They sustained a right elbow fracture that required hospitalization.
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 retrieving a Christmas tree from a shelf using a ladder. He missed a step and fell to the concrete floor. He sustained injury to his head and wrist.
An employee was operating an agricultural tractor during sugarcane harvesting. The employee sustained a lumbar sprain due to vibration or motion from the tractor.
An employee was moving a 3-ton condensing unit, strapped down on a dolly, out of a garage. The strap broke, causing the employee to fall backward onto the brick pavered driveway. The employee suffered injury to a spinal ligament in the neck.