Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, 2921 Hwy 49 N, PARAGOULD, ARKANSAS 72450
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was manually turning a section of a trailer on a rotating device. As the employee reached to slow the section, their left ring finger was caught in the pinch point of the rotator and trailer section. The finger was amputated between the fingernail and first joint.
On February 17, 2022, at approximately 9:00 AM, employee 1 was assisting employee 2 with a repair on the bottom rail of a trailer. Employee 1 was holding an L-shaped piece of metal to assist employee 2, who was using a squeeze tool. As employee 2 activated the squeeze tool, employee 1's left hand was pulled into a pinch point on the tool, resulting in amputation of their left ring fingertip.
An employee was climbing down a 6-foot step ladder after cleaning the interior wall of a trailer when the employee's left knee gave out and he fell fracturing his right femur.
Employees were moving a stack of wear bands with an overhead crane. The wear bands fell over and struck an employee. He suffered a left shin laceration and left ankle fracture, as well as right leg laceration and right ankle injury.
An employee was using a circular saw to cut the walls of a trailer, which were being removed to be disposed of as scrap. The saw kicked back and lacerated his left calf area. He was hospitalized.
An employee was operating a forklift and unloading a truck. After the truck was unloaded, the employee got off the forklift and proceeded to adjust the dock plate with a hook tool. The dock plate slipped and the employee went to adjust the plate with their hand when their left middle finger got caught. Their finger was amputated above the first joint.
An employee was rotating a carbide granulator blade when his finger was caught between the blade and a stationary part of the machine. The employee's right middle finger was partially amputated and they suffered an avulsion to the right ring fingertip.
An employee was using a CNC metal lathe machine in manual mode to check that the thread blocking tool made contact with the jaws. As the employee was manually spinning the spindle, his index fingertip was crushed between the spindle's jaws and the grooving insert, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
During a material handling operation, an employee's fingertip was caught under an air conditioning unit as the unit was lowered onto a cart. The employee's fingertip was amputated.
An employee was removing a bolt from a tractor hub when their right index finger was caught between the hub and the frame. The employee's fingertip was crushed and the employee was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 336212)
An employee was changing a die in a press when the die slipped and crushed the employee's left index finger. The employee sustained an open facture of the tuft of the left distal phalanx and a partial amputation.
An employee was assisting with rigging a magnet to an overhead crane in order to lift a sheet of steel. The employee's right thumb was between the crane's hook and the chain passing through the hook, and when the crane was raised, the distal end of their thumb was crushed. Part of the employee's right thumb was medically amputated.
Two employees were working together to insert a pin into a hydraulic cylinder. One employee was holding the cylinder in place to align it with the pinhole, while the injured employee was inserting the pin. The injured employee was aligning the pin and moved to determine whether the hole alignment was too high or low. At that moment, the crowbar being used to assist with alignment slipped and his left index fingertip was pinched between the cylinder and the housing, resulting in an amputation just below the fingernail.
An employee was hoisting an axle in the buggy department when one side of the sling came loose, causing the axle to tip. The sling hook raised up from the weight transfer, causing the employee's left little finger to be caught by the rigidness of the hook. The fingertip was amputated.
An employee was using a circular saw to cut the cap off an aluminum bulkhead of a trailer that was being manufactured. The saw kicked, lacerating his hand and resulting in the amputation of his left middle and ring fingertips.
An employee was operating an ironworker (steel punching/shearing) machine. A piece of the tooling broke off and struck the employee's neck; a fragment was lodged in his neck. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
On October 25, 2025, an employee was stringing up a new reel of tire tread on a machine. The employee pulled a 6-inch tail and proceeded to spool up the liner. As the machine was jogged to begin the liner wrapping process, the liner caught the employee's glove and pulled their right arm into the liner, causing a fracture to the arm.
An employee was doing a cable change on top of an electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane. They were positioned between the cable drum and the drive shaft. While rotating the cable drum, the employee reached for the new cable that was to be installed. The grease fitting on the drive shaft caught their fall harness and pulled them underneath the drive shaft. The employee was pinned between the drive shaft and two pieces of angle steel, resulting in a fracture to their left hip.
On October 5, 2025, an employee was pulling a pressure washer hose when it it disconnected from the cooker. The employee was struck by jets of high-pressure water, resulting in lacerations to their left thigh requiring surgery. The employee was hospitalized.